Silverpaw
by shade-of-lily
Summary: Lily is a transfer student to Hogwarts, and soon becomes friends with the Marauders. But they slowly come to realize that she's keeping a secret. And when they learn of a new dark wizard in the area, each of them may be forced to reveal everything...R&R!
1. Home is Where Your Pain is

This is my first fic, so be kind. :)

Disclaimer: None of it's mine, except the AU portions.

A/N: So I'm going back through all of my old stories and kind of hating them. I do this a lot. I'm editing the parts that I really can't stand, so I guess you can call this a bit of a repost. Enjoy, none-the-less.

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Awareness slammed in suddenly, heralded by the blaring of the alarm clock next to her ear. Lily sat up in bed with a gasp, breathing quickly. She slapped the alarm off quickly and slid out of bed without a sound, tiptoeing lightly across the floor to her closet and pulling on a semi-clean pair of jeans. Lily flipped her coppery hair back into a bun and slipped, barefoot, out of her 'room'. It was more of a large walk-in closet, really, but she didn't complain. It was bigger than her old room in Cardiff. She and her father had moved from Wales about a month ago, and Lily was unbelievably happy and hopeful about the move. In London, she could have a new beginning. She had transferred schools, as well. Her old school, St. Evans Academy, had been well enough. It was the students there that had hated her. She wasn't sure why; she was just…different…in some way she couldn't name, and it set her apart from everyone else. Moving to England had been her salvation. The one thing she missed about Wales, though, was the scenery. She had had places to run to, to hide in. There were small ponds in the forests near her home, and small caves in the mountains. But here in urban London, there was no place to go. Just row after row of houses. Lily occasionally thought she would suffocate from the normality. But tomorrow… tomorrow morning, she would take the Hogwarts Express to her new school. It had been her dream to go there ever since she had discovered she was a witch. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was recognized worldwide as a first-class wizarding academy. It had turned out Britain's best wizards. 

She shook herself out of her reverie and began to prepare breakfast. Ever since her mother, Branwen, had walked out on her father, taking Petunia, Lily's sister, with her, he had been angry, volatile, and liable to vent his wrath on whoever was closest. Which, often enough, was Lily. She hadn't told him about her 'talent'. He believed that the school she had attended was a normal school in the country. Her father had never cared enough to ask about it or check her homework, and she didn't think he ever would. This didn't bother Lily at all. In fact, she preferred him when he was either passed out or asleep.

He tended to be unconscious more. Her father simply refused to acknowledge that his system could carry no more than seven or eight beers in one night before overloading.

So, almost every night, Lily would drag him into his room, put a pillow underneath his head, and brew a hangover remedy in the kitchen. It had only gotten worse when they moved to England, though she wasn't sure why. Lily lived in dread of the nights when her father came home drunk, but not sufficiently. He would stomp around the house in a drunken stupor, ranting about 'that bitch Branwen', Lily's mother. Then he would throw things for about half an hour, during which Lily would frantically try to hide, though she knew by now that it was no use. Even if she did find a good spot, she would have to come out sometime, and when she did, it would hurt much, much, more.

Then, after the enraged shouts ceased, her father would come looking for her. This was the time she most dreaded. Sometimes it was just a couple well-placed kicks or punches. He had surprisingly good aim for a drunk. If he was completely smashed, he would take off his belt. That hurt. A lot. At last, he would either pass out or lose interest in whipping her. Then Lily stumbled to her room and fixed herself up as best she could using only potions. But, inevitably, she would run out of ingredients or potions, and, seeing as this tended to happen in the middle of summer holidays, Lily would return to school covered with bruises and cuts. At dawn on the first day of term, the beginning of the time she was allowed to use magic, she would cast a concealment charm on herself. It projected a fake image of herself onto herself, one with flawless skin. Only someone who was carefully scrutinizing her would notice anything wrong. _I'll have to do that again this year_, she thought as she carefully balanced her father's breakfast tray on her hip, making her way upstairs.

"Good morning, Father. I brought your breakfast." She hated saying those words.

"Bring it here." Lily walked over to her father, where he was sitting upright in bed. His red face jiggled (for lack of a better word) on a virtually nonexistent neck, and his small beady eyes glared at her, as though it was her own fault she was alive. He greedily seized the boiling hot coffee mug, and gave a startlingly girly screech. Lily would have laughed if her father hadn't thrown the mug at her in a fit of rage. The scalding hot coffee burned her side, and the mug shattered inches away from her, driving sharp porcelain shards into her leg. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, and gingerly picked the protruding pottery out of her leg while her father screamed in the background.

"Idiot girl! You've gone and ruined the carpet-" Lily looked down at the floor and allowed her father's words to pass by, focusing on the feeling in her leg. Some of those pieces had to be at least three inches...

"Are you listening? Do you hear me?" She could hear her father, but she couldn't comprehend what he was saying, and frankly, she didn't care. Suddenly, she felt an iron-strong grip on her arm and was seized from her position on the floor. Her father yanked her up by her forearm and said, pointing at the floor, "Clean. It. Up. Now." Lily was dropped unceremoniously on the floor again, and she took a napkin from the abandoned tray and began to sop up the coffee. She was back in that familiar place again, where nothing outside her task mattered. There was nothing more than the brown stains, no pain, no voices, no fear, just a task to be completed.

And suddenly, there _was _more; there was a line of fire across her back, and pressure on her stomach as she collapsed on the floor, and a familiar hiss over her head.

She squeezed her eyes shut and forced the feeling back, but it wasn't enough (had never been enough, ever, and she knew it but there was nothing left if she couldn't still try) and she cried out in anguish, and was rewarded by more savage blows…and then it was all over. Lily rolled over weakly and was rewarded with a kick in the stomach as her father strolled past her on his way out of the room. She allowed herself a moment's labored breathing before pulling herself to her feet and dragging herself down the hall, back into her room, and into the welcoming darkness.


	2. Meet James

A/N: Allo, poppets! Not too much going on here… you should know how devoted I am; I'm writing this at 11:23 pm!! ::bows and curtseys while people cheer:: Well, here's the next chapter.

Ravenclaw Disclaimer: As all but the intellectually challenged discern, plagiarizing other individual's labor is a transgression of the most severe ilk. You would do best to do as I have done, and not commit this heinous offense.

Lily moaned and rolled over, feeling incredibly sore. She rolled again, but the tenderness didn't go away. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright, and realized where she was. On the floor, in her room. That established, she asked herself where the throbbing was coming from. That was harder to answer, mainly because she couldn't pinpoint it. Is seemed to generate from her left forearm, side, and leg. Looking down, the memory of the coffee incident flooded back into her mind. Then she looked at the alarm clock on the dresser. What she saw there took a few seconds to understand. It read: 9:34.She had slept for a whole day and night. Lily had exactly ½ an hour to get from here to the train. It was a ½ hour ride from the house to the station, but since she intended to floo there, that wasn't an issue. Abruptly she remembered her condition. She needed to do the charm. **Now**. Lily quickly scrambled to her feet and limped painfully over to the dresser. First she cast a painkilling charm, and then, pointing at herself, said "concealus". Instantly, all her cuts disappeared. The pain was mostly gone, but she still moved gingerly. She grabbed her trunk, and after doing a hurried re-check to make sure she had packed everything, cautiously stuck her head out of her door, to make sure the coast was clear. It was, so, dragging her trunk behind her, she silently crept to the front of the house and into the living room. Heading straight for the fireplace, she shoved her trunk in and threw in some powder she retrieved from her pocket. Lily stepped into the fireplace and yelled 'King's Cross Station!'. There was a sudden sensation of being whirled around at an unbelievable speed, and then an abrupt jerk, and she fell out of the fireplace in the stationmaster's office. She quickly dusted herself off, and ran as fast as she could (with her trunk) to the entrance of Platform 9 ¾. She darted through the wall, and just as she emerged on the other side, she heard a long drawn out whistle. She sprinted to the side of the train as it started to move, and dumped her luggage onboard. Lily ran alongside the train, looking for an entrance, and not finding one. She was going to be left behind. As the train began to pick up speed, a compartment door was thrown open, and a boy leaned out of it. "Take my hand!" he yelled to her. She was running now, to keep up with the locomotive, and she reached out desperately with her left hand. The boy made a wild grab, and seized her firmly by the forearm. He pulled with all his might. "When I say three, jump!," he called. She was running as fast as she could, but she was falling behind. "One!" She wasn't going to make it… "Two!" The grip on her arm almost made her scream with pain, his fingers leaving prints over the invisible yellowish bruise… "Three!" Lily jumped as hard and as far as she could while running faster than she ever had before. "Oof!" she and the boy landed in an undignified heap on the floor of the train. She hurriedly scrambled to right herself, as he did the same. When they were finally seated across from one another, and had caught their breaths, Lily finally took a good look at the boy. He had rich, chocolaty eyes, and messy black hair. His face was tan, and he looked as though he had spent summer vacation at the beach. Lily could tell he was analyzing her, as well. She stuck her hand out, saying, "Thank you. My name is Lily Evans." The boy grinned at her, a warm and welcoming smile. He stuck out his hand as well, and they shook.

"Hello, Lily Evans. It was a pleasure to save you. I'm James Potter."

A/N: Well? Tell me what you think!! I swore on my Harry Potter books, and I fulfilled that oath. Okay, enough with the seriousness… things will get pretty interesting in the next chapter, and they'll get even MORE interesting if you click that little button down there that says review!! hint hint


	3. Hyperactive Dogs and A Discovery

A/N: Thanks to ChrisLoverCharmed, my first reviewer. I read the review during lunch, and spent the rest of the day going up to random people and saying, "Somebody loves me!" It was FUN!!!!Anyhoo, thanx also to my beta, I never would be able to do this without her. Well, I know nobody wants to hear-er-read- me ramble, so here's the story:

Hufflepuff Disclaimer: Well, I mean, it's really just polite and honest not to copy; I mean, it's just common courtesy. I know that if I ever copied, I would turn myself in right away.

OH YEAH: this chapter is dedicated to Becky Bracken. It's her birthday!!

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Previously: "My name is Lily Evans." The boy grinned at her, a warm and welcoming smile. He stuck out his hand as well, and they shook.

"Hello, Lily Evans. It was a pleasure to save you. I'm James Potter."

* * *

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, James Potter," Lily said, grinning back at him. Without warning, all the pain from the previous morning flooded into her body like water overflowing a glass. She nearly cried out, but bit her tongue sharply instead, gritting her teeth and trying to take deep, even breaths. She prayed that James hadn't noticed anything, but it seemed that her luck had been used up for the day. He gave her a keen and penetrating stare, and suddenly raised his hand. Instinctively, Lily flinched away and pressed herself against the seat, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for the inevitable blow… any second now, any second…but nothing happened. She cautiously lowered her arm, and immediately James' hand struck out like lightning, grabbing her hand and pulling her arm out so it was parallel to the compartment floor. He gingerly pushed back her sleeve, and, on seeing the flawless skin beneath it, frowned. He carefully prodded the skin on her arm, and she involuntarily shuddered and jerked from the pain. James warily grabbed his wand from the seat next to him without letting go of her hand, and, swirling it in a counter-clockwise movement, pointed it at her arm and said clearly, "Finite incantatem". _Dammit, _Lily thought. There was a flash of white light, and then all of her injuries were revealed. _Thank god_, she thought, _he could only see her arm. Though that's certainly bad enough_. Her entire forearm was a mottled yellow-blue-black bruise. Lily's eyes were wide with fear and surprise, and they stared at James with an intensity he had never seen before. His eyed shocked eyes gazed back, and he started. _Those eyes… they were the purest green he had ever seen… hard, with a stubborn glint like emeralds, yet as soft and compassionate as new grass. They reminded him of leaves…_The train gave a lurch, startling James out of his thoughts. Lily was still gazing at him in fear. He reached out an arm and put it on her upper arm to reassure her that she had nothing to fear, and she gradually relaxed. James, on the other hand, was filling up with rage. His mother, a healer, had taught him many things, and the one thing James knew about her arm was that is was practically impossible to do that to yourself- therefore, someone must have done this _to Lily. _"Who," he demanded through tightly clenched teeth, "did this to you?" Lily's eyes widened in fear again, and she stiffened. "I…I…I fell down some stairs." She said unconvincingly. James raised an eyebrow. Looking into his eyes, Lily felt that even though she had known him for mere minutes, she could tell him, and trust him. "It-" she started to say, but was interrupted by the compartment door flying open and a head full of black hair which was, needless to say, much neater than James'.

"Jamesie! The plan worked perfectly; Malfoy's over at the other end of the train trying everything to get rid of the flags, and we rigged the password so that he's got to say 'I am a stupid git, and even though my family's stinking rich, I still don't have ½ the brain of Sirius Black' in front of at least 200 members of a different House. It's brilliant, I tell you, pure genius, mate! This'll be our best year ever!"

"For what? Highest number of detentions served in one month?" a new voice wryly interrupted the first speaker.

"Oh, honestly, Moony! Lighten up a bit. We've been out loads of times before; this year will be a piece of cake…oh. Hello there. Didn't see you. The name's Sirius. Sirius Black," the first speaker said, performing an elaborate bow and gallantly kissing Lily's hand, winking at her with an eye that sparkled with mischief. She had immediately yanked the sleeve back down as soon as James' attention had been diverted. She grinned at the young man, and got up from her seat and did a deep mock-curtsey, which was difficult, seeing as she was wearing jeans. "My name is Lily Evans, kind sir." Then she turned to the newest arrival, a teen with light brown hair and serious gray eyes. He looked slightly peaky, though she shouldn't judge, seeing what she looked like herself. He smiled and stuck his hand out. "Nice to meet you, Lily. My name's Remus Lupin. Don't mind Sirius there. He's had a few too many chocolate frogs." They shook hands, and Lily looked over at Sirius, who now seemed to be alternately rolling on the floor and doing jumping jacks. She grinned and cocked an eyebrow. Remus and James both nodded mock-seriously as a voice was heard from outside the compartment. "Anything off the trolley, dears?" Sirius was off in a flash, bounding to the compartment door, and throwing it open and diving outside. "As if I had to ask," came the resigned voice of the trolley-pushing witch. "Maybe a better question would be, 'Is there anything you want _besides_ the trolley?'" James quipped. All three of them lost control of their laughter, and the sober façade inside the compartment dissolved into tears of laughter as the Hogwarts Express raced onward.

A/N: Well, that's done. I'll update soon. Before people start yelling at me, I had a purpose for not introducing Peter. Believe me. I have a wee bit of a problem (besides the obvious psychotic, chronic and schizophrenic ones. Isn't that right? Yes, it is, dear.). When I type my author name in the search bar, I can't find myself!! I also tried the title and summary, and neither of those work. In short, I don't exist!!! If somebody could PLEASE tell me how to fix this, I will give you a hint as to where the rat we love to hate went. Review anyway, tho!! I wrote this one at 1:58 am!!!


	4. Blond Haired Idiots And A Swim

A/N: Hola!! Back from skiing in New Hampshire. Did you all miss me? Well, I'm assuming people do actually read this. I mean, I've only got one review, so it's kinda hard to judge, but whatever. On with the chapter.

Slytherin Disclaimer (I have GOT to get more original with these!): Well. ::looks furtively around:: Don't tell anyone this, but I'm actually plotting to gain control of the JK Rowling empire. My plan is nearing completion. But until then, I'm poor as that S.O.B Weasley.

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For the most part, Lily enjoyed herself immensely on the ride to Hog warts. They played Exploding Snap and talked about Quidditch and England's chance for the Cup, which was next year. Sirius had calmed down a little, and was only vibrating in his seat and hiccupping regularly. If she was a little distant, nobody noticed. Besides James, of course. Throughout the train ride, he occasionally shot her looks that read clearly_, you're not getting out of it that easily_. Thankfully, he had enough tact not to bring it up while the others were around. To Lily's mind, there was nothing that could be done until she got a chance to talk to James alone. So she tried to forget about it, and listened attentively to James and Remus bickering about the number of detentions they would get that year. James' arguments consisted of examples of pranks they had pulled on Slytherins and never gotten caught for, which made Lily ask about them, which immediately turned the discussion into a detailed memoir of the trio's escapades. Lily helped James, Remus, and Sirius plan this year's, as well, and they were all happily shocked at how devious she was. Lily's masterpiece was a cunning scheme involving saran wrap, honey, superglue, packing peanuts, quidditch, and Malfoy. Her one rule was that they not use any of her plans until she had learned a bit about Lucious Malfoy for herself, and judged if he really deserved them. James had, naturally, told her all about the Slytherin, but she still wanted to check. Once they had exhausted the subject of jokes, the conversation turned to their personal history. James was a pureblood, whose mother was a healer and whose father was an Auror. Sirius didn't say much, just muttered something about how he had run away from home the summer after his first year and was now staying at James' house to escape the 'evilness'. Remus too was withdrawn, saying only that he was pureblood and both his parents worked for the Ministry. They were all in their sixth year, and were all happy to learn that Lily was, too. The Marauders, as they told her they called themselves, mentioned a missing member, Peter Pettigrew. James asked where he was, and Remus replied that Peter had sent him a vague owl saying that his father had somewhere to take him 'on business' and that he would be starting school after the holidays. Then James shrewdly asked about her life at home. Lily had always been a talented liar, except when her emotions were too strong, and then her personality showed right through. But here, she was in her element. Lily wove a simple deception; she was muggle-born. Her mother was a maid, and her father a radio announcer for a muggle station. Suddenly, Remus stood up, saying, "We've got 15 minutes before we get there. Maybe we should get changed." Everyone agreed, and the boys left, leaving Lily to use the compartment as a changing room.

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When they came back 10 minutes later, she was lying with her back on the seat, reading a copy of Lord of the Rings that Remus had lent her. "Shove," said James mildly. She sat up and put her book down just as the train whistle blew. There was a sudden flurry of movement as the students disembarked. Lily found herself outside in the chilly night air, and gasped as she saw Hogwarts for the first time. James slung a friendly arm around her shoulders and said happily, "Home." Remus came up to them. "Let's go get a boat." They walked to the waters edge and got into a small ferry. It started with a jerk, and they set off across the lake, surrounded by other students laughing and talking. On the way across, James explained that the lake had perfectly vertical sides, so it was the same depth all over. "Excellent for fishing," Remus remarked. When they got to the other side, Lily let the boys get off first. As she got out, a student with a sneer and long blond hair pushed past her. She had been standing on the edge of the bank, and James, Remus, and Sirius watched in slow motion as she teetered on the edge, arms flailing, and finally seemed curve backwards and fall into the 100-ft-deep lake. James screamed "Lily!" and ran to the side just in time to see her strike her head on a rock and sink slowly.

* * *

Without thinking, he dove in after her, narrowly missing the stone himself. James arrowed through the water until he found her, slender body swaying gently in the underwater current, long coppery hair undulating gently around her body. There was a slight haze of red around her, and a nasty-looking gash on her temple and forehead. She looked pale and erethreal in the moonlit, shadowy water. James shook himself and grabbed her around the waist. Kicking off with powerful stokes, bubbles coming from his mouth, he rose slowly to the surface. When he got his head above the water, James slung her over his shoulder and began climbing the steep bank of the river, with the help of a rope that Remus and Sirius had conjured. "You _idiots_!" a girl cried, going round and whacking a random student around the head. The sixth-years had all gathered around the bank and were watching the spectacle. "Go HELP THEM!" she pointed at Remus and Sirius, who were straining at the rope, trying to pull Lily and James up. She ran over and began heaving on the rope as well. Soon other Gryffindors joined her, and Lily and James rose slowly to the bank. When they got there, James clambered over the edge and gently deposited a sopping wet Lily on the ground. She rolled over and started coughing violently as water came out of her lungs. "That," he said to her, "was Malfoy." Some of the Slytherins could be heard muttering "Goddammit" under their breaths when they heard that the rescue was a success. Just then, Headmaster Dumbledore came striding across the grounds, conjuring a stretcher as he went. When her reached the sopping wet Lily and James and the 10 or so students with rope burns who were panting heavily, he raised his eyebrows, levitated Lily onto the stretcher and told James to follow him. They made their way up to the castle, with Lily weakly protesting that she could walk, and James forcefully holding her down, probably a good choice seeing as the score along her head was still bleeding heavily. He gradually realized that she wasn't struggling anymore, and cautiously let go of her shoulders. She had, evidently, passed out from blood loss. When they got to Dumbledore's office (_pepper imp_), the old man stuck his head inside the fire and called "POPPY!" In a few seconds, during which he conjured a bed and laid Lily in it, Madame Pomfrey ran into the room, wheezing heavily. "Jesus _Christ,_ Albus. If you've gotten a lemon drop stuck in your beard _AGAIN_, I swear I'll destroy the entire bloody industry-" she stopped suddenly. "Oh, dear," she said seeing Lily and James, who had pulled up a chair next to the bed. She immediately summoned a house-elf and asked him to bring her a blood-replenishing potion, pain reliever, and some chocolate to ward off pneumonia. She woke Lily up, and as soon as her patient woke up and pieced together what was going on, she began protesting again. "Here, have some treacle fudge," Dumbledore offered. She took it absently and with a thank-you, and ate it as she continued to ward off the harassed medi-witch. "Honestly, I'm fi-mmmph mummph MUMMPH _mmmumph_!" Her jaws had been locked together with something that looked suspiciously like fudge. "Hagrid?" asked James. Dumbledore nodded as his student grinned and the nurse conjured a curtain and began to administer to her patient, after a curt "Thank-you, Albus". Lily had given up on talking and was now alternating between giving the death glare to James through the curtain and trying to loosen the treacle. She inconspicuously leaned towards a candle near her bed, and the fudge began to melt. When the witch had finished and Dumbledore had gotten the whole story from James, he said, "Well, it would be pointless to have you sorted in the Great Hall now, Lily, so we may as well do it right now. He stuck his head into the fire again, and said "Minerva? Could I please have the Sorting hat? Thank-you." As he pulled his head out of the fire, the hat appeared there. He took it out and placed it on Lily's head. After a long period of silence, the hat said "Gryffindor," in a hoarse voice. "Long night?" asked Albus sympathetically. "Fifty-three. Can you believe it? Most of them Slytherins, too. Nasty stuff. Night, sir." The hat replied before shutting up and snoring lightly. "Well, I expect you two will want to be getting back to your dorm. Mr. Potter, I will ask you to accompany Miss Evans back, as the potion will have made her slightly dizzy. "Yes, sir." James replied. Lily slid off the bed and stumbled, grabbing James' arm for balance. They made their way out of the headmaster's office and down two corridors before Lily cried out, "Oh no! Remus' book!" She checked her pockets. "It was a first edition, too! He's going to _kill_ me!" 

"Here," said James, helping her sit down against the wall, "stay here. I'll go check to see if it fell out of your pocket in Dumbledore's office." He turned and ran back to the office as Lily cried "Thank-you!" James muttered the password to the gargoyle and silently mounted the rotating staircase. He waited impatiently for the ride to end. He didn't like leaving Lily alone like that…He reached the door and was about to knock when he heard voices coming from inside. James hesitated, and, the Marauder inside taking over, lowered his hand and instead listened to Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey talk in confidential tones.

" – Strangest thing I've ever seen, Albus, I swear. The poor girl had second degree burns all over her side and severe lacerations on her left leg. I picked _these_ out of it." There was a rustle of cloth, a soft chink, and then silence.

"Pottery…"

"And her arm, Albus! That is as close as you can get to snapping her arm without breaking it! I did all I could, but I'm afraid that wasn't much. Most of it needed to heal itself."

"What did you do, Poppy? I'm sure young Miss Evans would not have submitted willingly to your… ministrations."

"Erm, well, you see, I thought it would be best…" Madame Pomfrey sounded rather embarrassed. "I-er, that is to say- Igaveherasleepingdraughtthenmodifiedhermemory" she said quickly.

"Pardon, Poppy? I'm afraid I didn't quite catch that."

"I gave her a sleeping draught then modified her memory." The medi-witch said guiltily.

"Well, that is most unorthodox, but I believe, given the circumstances, that we can accept that as the right thing to do." Albus said kindly. "I think it would be best if we didn't mention this to anyone, and let Miss Evans handle this for herself. I am sure she is quite capable." James could _hear _the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. He slid away from the door and ran down the staircase. He had heard enough.

A/N: Well? That was kinda long, but I just couldn't stop writing… I'm gonna go open up an new document right now and just continue my thoughts in a new chapter…PLEASE review! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!! I can't tell if anyone is reading this!!!


	5. Relavations of a Useful Sort

A/N: See? What did I tell you? I'm going for two chapters in one night. Maybe even three…::does the chicken dance:: so OVERTIRED!!

Sirius' Disclaimer (you'll get this if you remember what Sirius does on the train ride from last chapter): I don't-hic-own any-hic-so don't-hic-sue me-hic

James ran down the halls until he saw Lily sitting on the ground, tracing patterns on the ground with one finger. Her long ginger hair fell in a curtain, covering up her lovely eyes. He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to find her book. He considered turning around when Lily looked up at him. _His hair is so cute… He's so sweet…As if I'd ever have a chance_…"Did you find the book?" she asked hopefully. James sighed. "Sorry."

"That's okay. Lets go." Lily seemed steadier on her feet which he almost regretted. They made their way to the common room, and when they stepped inside (_Flannel PJs_) (A/N: that's what I'm wearing now lol), they saw a very exasperated Remus and…_something_… that had to be Sirius doing a headstand and hiccupping. "Good lord," said James. "Has he been like this all night?"

"Yes." Remus said tiredly. "Thank god you're here. Now I can go to bed. Oh, by the way, Lily, you dropped this when you… went over." Lily accepted the book as relief flooded her face.

"Er…Remus? I need to talk to Lily privately and, well, what with the one man circus over there, the dormitory seemed like the best place…" James said, casting puppy-dog-eyes at Remus.

"Oh, fine," Remus grumbled. He conjured himself a blanket and immediately went to sleep on a nearby couch. Lily groaned. She had hoped that James had forgotten about her arm during all the excitement, but evidently he had not. He gripped her right arm tightly so she wouldn't run away and led her up to the boy's dormitory. He shut the door, locked it, and soundproofed the room as Lily sat on his bed. He came and sat next to her.

"Lily, I'm not going to lie to you. I didn't really look for your book. I overheard Pomfrey and Dumbledore talking, and- well, look at your leg." Lily suddenly realized that she hadn't been feeling as much pain as usual. She slowly lifted up her robes; her leg had hundreds of deep punctures and bloody cuts, mostly scabbed up, but it looked a hell of a lot better than it had earlier. Lily heard James' sharp intake of breath beside her and turned to face him. "How much do you know?" she asked.

* * *

"All I know is that Pomfrey gave you a sleeping potion, discovered the…burn… and your leg and arm, then woke you up and modified your memory. What I _want_ to know is how you got them, and if there's anything else." Lily, looking deep into his eyes, decided to trust him. She said, "Turn around." James obeyed, and Lily stripped off her robes revealing jeans and a light blue ¾ shirt. "Turn around again," she ordered. James turned around again apprehensively. She had her back to him, and lifted the back of her shirt. Long, vicious slashes covered her back. James crossed the space between them and gently traced one of the cuts. Lily was trembling, and when she turned around, a single tear slid down her cheek. "My father," she said softly, before sinking back down to sit on the bed. James was _furious_. No, more than furious; he was livid. When he got his hands on that bastard… he turned to Lily, who now had tears coursing down her face, and was shuddering with every sob. His anger immediately balled up, settling somewhere inside his heart. She was okay now, she was okay, and that was all that mattered…he sat down next to her and instinctively hugged her tightly. She turned into him and buried her head into his shoulder, wracking sobs shaking her slender body. James held her tightly and soothed her, saying, "Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay." He smoothed her hair down and kissed the top of her head, inhaling the scent of it; it smelled like lilies. Lily gradually stopped crying and fell asleep. A few minutes later, James lifted her in his arms, and, peeling the covers back, laid her gently in his bed. He replaced the covers and stood looking at her. _She is so beautiful…_He climbed over her, and, lying next to her on top of the blankets, fell asleep too, her even breathing light on his cheek.

* * *

An hour later, Sirius woke up Remus by hiccupping loudly about 1 centimeter away from his ear. Hearing nothing form the other side of the door, they cautiously slipped into the dormitory. The two Marauders stood there, dumbfounded, staring at James and Lily. After about ½ an hour of just standing there, Remus shook himself, slapped Sirius out of his daze, and climbed into his own bed.

Lily was having a dream. It wasn't pleasant. _Don't…don't… please… stop hurting me…_her father's piggish head loomed over her, and she heard the familiar hiss of his belt. _Please… _Now he was shaking her_... please…stop…I won't do it again…stop…please … _Suddenly, she was awake. James was shaking her, looking worried. James… she was still disoriented; she didn't know where she was, and she didn't care. She was warm and she was safe; James would never hurt her… she nestled further underneath the sheets, thinking _he is so beautiful_…

* * *

A/N: So. You may have noticed that the rating went up to PG-13. That's just in case, for the language, the abuse bit, and, hopefully, snogging later on. Shouldn't have any sexual content…I would like to make it clear that James is sleeping ON TOP of the sheets, while Lily is sleeping UNDER THEM, k? I mean, come on! It's the first day. Even I wouldn't speed up a relationship that much…review review review review review review review!! 


	6. Cheers And Tears or, Friend and Enemy

A/N: I've got a question: are my chapters too short?? I can't tell…Let me know, please.

Gred and Forge Disclaimer: We're bloody rich off the joke businuss. Blew Zonko's right off the chart… why would we need to steal our creator's money?

* * *

Lily stirred in her sleep. She had never felt so good before… she was sleepy and warm and comfortable and… _in the boy's dormitory? _She sat up hurriedly and looked around her. When she spotted James sleeping next to her, she remembered everything. She had told her secret…and he still wanted to be her friend…She checked her magically charmed watch and started. She was late for breakfast. Lily slipped to the door, and after making sure that the common room was empty, slipped downstairs. She crept up to her dormitory and peeked her head inside. It was empty. She ran in and changed into clean robes, after a quick shower. She grabbed her bag and fled the room, following the sound of voices to the Great Hall. As she entered and walked in to sit at the table with her fellow Gryffindors, whispers followed her. She could hear people murmuring. _Poor girl… Is that the one who got pushed into the lake?…Surprised she survived…_Lily felt incredibly awkward. She slowly walked along the table, until she saw an open spot next to a girl with long, raven-black hair. She looked like the girl who had spurred the Gryffindors on at the edge of the bank the previous night. Lily asked timidly, "Is this seat taken?"

"Not at all," The girl grinned up at her. "It's Lily, right?"

"Yeah. Lily Evans," Lily said, relieved, as she sat down.

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Rhiannon, really, but everybody calls me Rhia. Why weren't you in the dormitory last night? You missed meeting the resident bitch. It couldn't have taken that long to tend your injuries, even _with_ Pomfrey."

"I—had personal issues," Lily hedged.

"Oh—I'm sorry. But anyway, about her, she's a complete nutter; thinks that just because her father owns this chain of department stores, she owns _everyone_ and _everything_. She tried to confiscate my pajamas last year. Said they 'didn't go with the décor'. And – here she comes now. _Lovely_. A tall girl came striding down the table towards them. She had a snub nose and tons of makeup on, and her blonde hair was in French braids. As she walked, boys' faces turned all over the room. She stopped right in front of Rhia and Lily. "Natalia. Natalia Moore," she said imperiously, like it was an honor for them to meet her. She had emotionless gray eyes, and her voice was devoid of anything colorful. Lily decided to be nice to her. What could it hurt?

* * *

"Lily Evans." She stuck out her hand. Natalia eyed it like it was something repulsive, then carefully retrieved a handkerchief from the bag she had slung over her shoulder, wrapped it so it completely covered her hand, then gingerly shook hands with Lily and pulled away quickly. Behind Lily, Rhia raised her eyebrows. Natalia bent down and said in a dangerously low voice, "I want you to know that this is _my_ school, and _my_ future boyfriends attend it. If I _ever_ find out that you have stolen even _one_ from me, you will wish that you had never been born. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal, _Natty._" Lily replied in a daring voice. She didn't bother to keep her voice down, and a few of the braver girls around the Hall clapped.

"_What _did you just call me, Evans?"Natailia said disbelievingly.

"Well, I thought we were going to be friends. I can't just call you Natalia. That's a horrible, ugly name. But I guess, since you've moved on to last names, that won't be necessary. Sorry. Won't happen again," Lily countered, with an insincere smile. Then, for perhaps the first time since the snobby girl had set foot in Hogwarts, someone turned her back to Natalia Moore. Lily calmly began eating breakfast, as girls clapped and cheered. Rhia was grinning broadly, and whispered "touché" to her, as Natalia stormed out of the Hall. Shortly after that, James, Sirius, and Remus entered the room, still looking sleepy. They spotted Lily and made their way over to her. "Hey, Lily," James said softly. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. I'm sorry for…you know…"

"It's fine. If you ever need to talk to anyone, I'll be right here, ok?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Lily hugged James. He smelled of wind and fresh air, a breezy scent. The effect was totally spoiled by Sirius and Remus sniggering in the background. This wasn't rare for Sirius, but for Remus, it was. James glared at them. "What?" he said irritably.

"Well, It's just that-"

"We saw you two-"

"Last night-"

"_WHAT?_" Rhia nearly screamed. "Lily…god. You've known each other for _how_ long? About one day? _That _was your _personal issue?!_" She said, lowering her voice. Lily got up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and ran out of the Great Hall. Rhia saw a single tear trail down her friend's face.

"What did I say?"

* * *

"You MORONS!" James yelled. "You have NO IDEA!" You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed. He sprinted out of the Hall, following Lily.

He found her in a most unusual place; she was sitting inside a scoring hoop in the Quidditch pitch, her broom hovering beside her. He flew up there, and when he was at eye level, she silently scooted over to make room for him. It was a bit cramped, but neither of them minded. They sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes, until James conjured up a plate of toast and two glasses of orange juice. Lily accepted one gratefully, and they stayed up there, talking and eating, until it was time to go to classes.

* * *

A/N: Howzat? I fell asleep, so instead of updating at one in the morning, I updated at about four. Ah, well. I'll have to get some icecubes down here… 


	7. Pictures, Handbags, and Classes

A/N: I'm SO SORRY! I haven't updated in, like, a week. It's just been really hectic, and I'm no longer living out of my duffel bag and sleeping on the couch from hell. Anyhoo, I decided that I'm finally going to answer all 3 (gasp) reviewers!!

Chrislovercharmed: I've read a few of Madeleine L' Engle's books, but that's not where I got the name. Branwen is a v. common Welsh name, and I happen to be near-obsessed with Wales. You should try The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper if you like Celtic books.

DayDreamer214: Thank you!! I'm going as fast as I can!

Rose123: Thanks! And I want to know: is it just me, or is being obsessed/ addicted FUN?

O.K: That's finished. On with the story:

* * *

James and Lily ran down the stone stairs, their bags bumping against them and their robes in disarray. "This -- is so -- typical" James wheezed between pants, as they thudded down staircase #4. "What?" gasped Lily as they flew down staircase #6 at breakneck speed. "The fact – that we – have potions – first period – first day – and we're – late." James haltingly replied during staircases 9 and 10. They found themselves in front of a forbiddingly large door. "One. Two. Three," he muttered, and pushed the door open. Immediately, heads turned all around the stone room. A tall, sweeping bat-like figure swept down on them. "Mr. Potter, Miss…Evans, isn't it? Have you decided to grace us with your presence? You are…4 minutes late, so I think we'll make that 40 points from Gryffindor." Protests were heard all around the room. "Each." The man said in a dangerous voice. Everyone shut up. Lily stepped forward bravely. "It was my fault, sir. We were talking, and I lost track of time."

"Oh, how romantic. Well, for talking back to me and wasting the class's time, you two lovebirds will be spending an evening apart, I'm afraid. Detention, Miss Evans!" the man crowed. James stepped forward angrily, saying, "Just because someone apologizes to you and _tries_ to treat you like the human we all know you're _not_, you give her detention? I mean, we all knew you had no friends, but as soon as somebody tries to be kind to you, you push them away. You sink to new levels every day, Tennesin." A few brave souls clapped aloud after James' tirade, and all of the other students, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw alike, grinned at him. "Well, Mr. Potter, all you have achieved here is to lose 30 more points from your house, as well as earning a separate detention from Miss Evans. Now go sit down separately and begin working on your invisibility potions." The professor stopped, noticing Lily staring at him fiercely. He made the mistake of looking into her eyes, and felt an irresistible force pulling him in. Those eyes…the were piercing his skin, surely, burning holes through his heart…he wrenched his gaze away from her eyes, and the class looked, astounded, as the potions master, who was infamous for staring hapless students down to a point where they left the room crying, was defeated by a young girl. Lily calmly picked up her potions supplies and went to sit next to Rhia, as James sat next to Sirius. "I'm going to find Tennesin alone one morning, mutilate him past recognition, feed him some of his own potions, and spend the rest of the day torturing him into insanity, before I cut off his head and put it on a spike." Lily said placidly. Rhia looked slightly shocked by her friend's quiet words. Lily's hand flew to her mouth. "Did I say that out loud?" she asked sheepishly. Rhia nodded, and was hard-pressed to keep a snort of laughter inside. "Um… about this morning…" Lily trailed off. "I'm sorry," she and Rhia both said at the same time. They grinned at one another, and then quickly began their potion.

* * *

Lily's other classes went well, compared to potions. She had learned most of it in her old school, and the new concepts were not hard to master. There would be five days of reviews, one for each year. Today was first year. Her favourite, by far, was Charms. The teacher, Professor Flitwick, was a young man who seemed to be over-enthusiastic about everything he did. Lily performed well in his class, being the first one to levitate her feather, closely followed by James, Remus, and Rhia. Transfiguration was James' preferred class, and he was the first to transfigure his matchsticks into needles, and proceeded to produce some yarn and knit for the rest of the period. Unbeknownst to him, Sirius conjured an illusion of small spectacles, white frizzy hair in a bun, and a worn housecoat, and attached it to him, making it look like an elderly grandmother had taken up residence in McGonagall's classroom. The class sniggered silently for 15 minutes or so during which James crocheted a scarf and a pair of purple and orange socks. Lily relented and showed him a mirror before the bell rang, prompting James to jump up and chase Sirius around the room. Rhia conjured him a handbag, and when he caught Sirius, he proceeded to beat him over the head with it while the class roared with laughter in the background. Lily shook her head and grinned before going over to part the boys. McGonagall gave them 40 points, saying, "Hogwarts hasn't seen such a good illusion in years, Mr. Black." All in all, it was a good first day for Lily. Best of all was dinner in the Great Hall. Lucious Malfoy stood on top of the Slytherin table and said, "I am a stupid git, and even though my family's stinking rich, I still don't have ½ the brain of Sirius Black," quietly. "What?" called Sirius cheerfully from below. "Couldn't quite catch that, mate! Speak a bit louder!" Malfoy did so resignedly, and the whole room erupted into laughter, except for the Slytherins, who were looking murderous. "You're dead," Malfoy mouthed across the room to the Mauraders. Sirius and James conjured skirts and copious amounts of stage makeup for themselves, stood on top of the Gryffindor table, and curtsied, among thunderous applause. The entire scene was made funnier by the fact that Malfoy's robes had been turned bright red and had the logo 'Gryffindors rule/ Slytherins drool' on the front and back. He had gold pennants in orbit around his head. Once he said the password, of course, they dissappeared, but the legacy would remain, since as soon as they vanished, James and Sirius stood up again and held up sheaves of pictures that showed a livid Malfoy crisping his robes and hair in an attempt to rid himself of the humiliation. "Only a sickle to anyone who promises to keep this in a safe place!" Sirius called. He was quickly swamped with eager buyers.

* * *

Later in the evening, Rhia, James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily were gathered in the common room. "You know, I should feel bad," Lily said thoughtfully, "but somehow, I don't."

"That, my dear, is the feeling of a job well done," said Sirius condescendingly. They continued along this vein until-

"Oh my God!" Lily cried unexpectedly. "We have detention!" James, startled, fell out of his chair, scrambled to his feet, and followed Lily as she sprinted to the portrait hole and darted off down the hall. "Don't wait up!" he called back as he dashed after her. They were late…

A/N: Sorry again; I got writer's block on this one, so sorry if it sounds a bit forced. Please review!


	8. One Freaky Chick

A/N: Hola, people! Abby92: thanks for reviewing. My answer to your first question is: maybe…:looks around shiftily:. I actually hadn't considered that, but I think that might fit in well with the story, so we'll see. And hopefully, my new paragraph-formatting thing will work out. I'm not sure…right, so as I was reading the last chappie I realized that I was sounding really apologetic in it, so I apologize for that (lol). It's just that we had exams, and then 20 million hours of History homework. I know that's no excuse, but whatever. Also, I think that the time flow might be a little off…some of the things don't make sense for Lily's first day. Whatever, I tried. Oh ya, and this chapter is dedicated to all my "no me gusta" amigos in D period ELA: Emily, Georgia, Kelsey, and Kathryn.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nothing, I tell you! Not even the voices in my head; they own me. I'm so _pathetic_… .: goes into hysterics:. NOTHING! Now stop…just leave me _alone_…

"I am _so _getting déjà vu," James panted as he tore down the hall, behind Lily. "Yeah, this is not an experience I _ever_ want to repeat. Again." she replied breathlessly. _Did that even make any sense_? She wondered. James, sprinting beside her, thought, _I could keep doing this forever_… "Okay, we're here. How do I look?" Lily inquired reflexively. "Beautiful," responded James, before blushing and looking down. Lily reddened too. James hastily pushed open the door to the dungeons, and they entered the stone room.

Prof. Tennesin looked up from his desk, and a sinister smile spread across his sallow face (a/n: oooh! Lots of s's! lol). "Well, for once I believe it is safe to say that you are on time. So I think I'll be generous, and only take 10 points from Gryffindor. "Why?" asked James, outraged. "For questioning a teacher's authority, Mr. Potter," the Potions Master replied smugly. "Now, on to business. You two will be serving detention in the Forbidden Forest. Not together, of course, as that might… distract you. Miss Evans, you will accompany me, and Mr. Potter, your punishment will take place with Ogg, the gamekeeper. You will both be collecting specimens of the dogflower plant, which aside from having an extremely poisonous bite, is also a main ingredient in an important flu remedy. You should both watch your backs, because besides the dogflower, there are many creatures in the forest that will not hesitate to harm you. We certainly wouldn't want either of you to get hurt…. am I making myself clear?"

"Crystal," Lily said tightly. In her mind, she was repeating over and over, _I must not hex the teacher, I must not hex the teacher, I must not hex the teacher…_

They followed the man down through the grounds to the gamekeeper's hut. Although she knew she should be feeling nervous, Lily instead felt a thrill of adventure. Here in the silvery light thrown by the full moon, it was easy to believe that anything and everything could, and _would_, happen. When they reached the edge of the forest, they split up, one pair going east and the other west. They each picked the brown, furry plants from the ground, and placed them gently inside a canvas bag. James' experience was nearly pain free, but Lily was under constant pressure, though not from her chaperon. From herself. As Tennisen kept up a steady stream of malicious comments, she repeated under her breath, _I must not hex the teacher, I must not_… It was becoming a bit of a mantra. Occasionally, when the insults reached new heights, it changed to, _I must not hit, strangle nor kill the teacher, I must not…_

After about an hour of this mental discipline, she stopped and stared up at the full moon, asking it to _give me patience_. Suddenly, a shower of red sparks erupted from her right, quickly followed by a strangled cry and a thud. _That sounds like James…_ignoring Tennisen's shouts, she took off through the woods.

She hadn't felt this good in years. The feeling of the woods rushing by her…it was magical (a/n: well, duh!). She got the sensation of everything; the trees, plants, vines, anything, really, moving aside for her and somehow lending her their speed…the forest was a blur, she was running so fast… and yet, everything was in slow motion. _Weird. But **definitely** cool_, she had time to consider, before she came upon James and his attacker. The scene shone eerily in the light from the full moon high overhead: James was backed up against a tree, with a medium sized lake directly behind him (a/n: if you've seen PoA, think of the scene near the end, where the dementor attack happens, and Harry sees himself.) He seemed to be staring at something just behind her… and as she grasped what that must mean, three things happened simultaneously. Lily flung herself to the side, James screamed, "Move!", and a dark shadow leapt at the spot where her head would have been. Lily scrambled to her feet, and stared at her assailant.

A werewolf. She froze in fear, green eyes widening in shock. She stood there, looking into the creature's eyes. What she found there surprised her. This wasn't a monster…at least, not completely. She could sense a feeling of sorrow in those yellow eyes, a feeling of regret and imprisonment. Lily continued to gaze at it intently as James called in the background. She assumed that he wouldn't get too close, in case the wolf felt threatened. "Lily! Don't kill him! Just stupefy him…Lily! What are you doing? He's gonna kill you!" Lily slowly approached the werewolf, keeping eye contact. All noise, including James, seemed to fade into the background as she neared the creature's head. Lily gingerly put out her hand and gently placed it on top of the wolf's head. "Hello," she said softly. "That's not really you, is it? What you look like outside? The real you is inside…don't worry, I don't hate you. You are a person, and you just need to find yourself…think of your body as a maze, and your real being, who you truly are, is at the center. You need to find the center of the web, okay? Take your time. I'm not going anywhere, you're safe…"The wolf's eyes were big and soulful, and as he looked up at her, a single tear trickled out. He gave a pathetic whimper, and flopped down beside her. She sat down with her back against a tree, and stroked his head gently as the wolf closed his eyes and snuffled.

"If you ever go  
Across the sea to Wales,  
Then maybe at the  
Closing of your day,  
You will sit and watch  
The moon rise over Cladagh  
And see the sun  
Go down on Galway Bay," Lily sung in a sweet, high, clear voice, leaving James speechless. She sung it again, and at the end of this repetition, something began to happen to the werewolf. He twitched, and then, with a strangled yelp, his features began to change. Lily watched in fascination at first, but her expression gradually changed to horror as she realized who it was. "Remus?" she whispered.

"So now you know," James said. "Yeah. Now I know," replied Lily faintly. "Where's Ogg?" she asked as she gingerly stood up and walked towards James. "Dunne. We got separated. Are you ok?" he asked worriedly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken. You?" She turned to face him. "Um..I'm fine." James said. "Nothing Pomfrey can't fix." Lily frowned, examining him. "No, you're not. You've got a rather large and bloody looking gash on your leg, and your eyes are slightly crossed."

"They are not! And your hair is all messed up, and your arm is bleeding heavily." said James defensively. "Anyway, how are we going to explain," he gestured at himself, "this?"

"Well, I think I have a way. Normally I wouldn't even _dream_ of doing this, but since it seems to be a rather dire situation, I guess we have to. But first, what are we going to do about Remus?" James' face darkened with anger at her words. She flinched, and his expression softened. "I'm not mad at you, Lils." He hugged her, thinking, _I swear on Merlin that the first chance I get I am going to kill her father_. But first… "Padfoot! I know you're there, and I'm going to give you five seconds to come out. Five! Four! Three! Tw-" A large black dog crept into the clearing, whining pitifully. "Sirius, change back now. It's against my nature to hit animals." Lily watched calmly as the black dog transformed into Sirius. Her surprise mechanism was all used up for the day.

"James-I'm sorry-he got away-" Sirius said.  
"This is _not_ the time to be having this discussion, though I can assure you, we will have one. A long one. Right now, I think it would be best if Sirius took Remus somewhere safe, and then worked on an alibi. James, you and I need to stay here and work on our own excuse. And Sirius, if you could possibly work it into your plans, could you have a couple of warm towels waiting for us when we get back? That'll probably be around…12:15. What?" Lily said, as she noticed James and Sirius staring at her with their mouths open.

"You are one freaky chick," said Sirius, before picking up Remus and leaving the clearing.

A/N: Allright, I know that was kind of a crappy ending, but I think it needed to end there. Review, review, review!Next chapter: Romance! MWAH! Love you all to death!

OH YEAH! I have a question/poll for all you lovely readers: are you for or against gay marriage? Not anything really official, but I was just kinda wondering…if you want to know, I'm for it, but that's just my opinion, and I won't hate you if you disagree. I have a couple of friends that are anti-gay rights, and nobody really cares. So, like I said, just tell me your opinion in a review, and if you could give me a reason, too, that'd be great. I't not a requirement… thank you!


	9. WHAT?

A/N: Wow! 14 reviews! I'm speechless! Ok, not quite. Whatever. Thanks to: Artemis Hestia Rainey (Georgia, you spaz), Squibbles, a.k.a. Kathryn, Emmy Vance, the best beta in the world (even though she doesn't know it) and Becky the Prude, a.k.a. Lola. And catseye348. Thank you all SO MUCH! All right, on with the story.

* * *

"What?" Lily asked again, annoyed. "Oh, nothing," James hedged. Lily raised her eyebrow.

"Ummm… what about your plan? The one that's supposed to get us out of this mess." He asked, obviously trying to avoid the subject.

"Oh, yeah. Close your eyes." James did so, and unexpectedly heard Lily say clearly, "Petrificus Totalus." He went stiff as a board, and would have fallen over if Lily hadn't swooped in and caught him. She looked him in the eyes, and said simply, "Sorry. It was necessary." The look in James' eyes said clearly that he didn't care if she was sorry or not. And, without further ado, Lily tossed him into the lake. It wasn't really a toss, more of a roll, actually, but that didn't lessen the shock any. Then she waded in after him. The water was bone-chillingly cold, but she didn't mind. It had been months since she'd had a decent swim…Lily dove under the surface and swam across the lake to the other side and back, to where James was floating on his back in peaceful circles. Though she guessed that once she cut the spell, he'd be anything but. Sure enough, as she released the curse, he floundered in the lake, and, having lost his balance, went under, only to reappear a second later, looking irate. He was on his feet quickly in the shallow water, with his wand pointed directly between her eyes. "What the hell was that for? Give me one reason why I shouldn't hex you all the way back to the castle." The effect was somewhat lessened by the fact that James had water dripping down his nose, and his teeth were chattering. Lily was far from being scared.

"Because this, my dear idiot, is our excuse. Would you really have gone for it voluntarily?" James lowered his wand, and was oddly relieved. He hadn't really liked the idea of Lily being an enemy… "You see, you got separated from Ogg, tripped over a root, fell into the lake, and cut your leg on a rock. You shot up flares, and I saw them and came to help you, because I knew you didn't know how to swim. On my way out, I scraped my arm on the same rock. Savvy?"

"Alright. But…I do know how to swim. Can't you say that he water was too cold, and it shocked me?" James was displaying his Gryffindor pride.

"Fine. Whatever," Lily compromised. "We should fix up your leg. It's bleeding rather badly."

"Not as bad as your arm. I'll do that first." James tore off a strip of fabric from his cloak and after performing a quick drying charm on it, held Lily's arm out and began to bandage it. It must have hurt, but to Lily's credit, she didn't flinch once. James commented on it, and was ashamed and embarrassed when she replied shortly, "I'm used to it." He tied off the knot on her arm, took her by the shoulders, and looked straight into her vibrant eyes. "I swear that if he ever touches you again, I will personally make sure that he isn't capable of touching _anything_ again. OK?"

* * *

"Yeah," Lily said softly. Suddenly, she realized how close they were. James' arms slid down from her shoulders to her waist, and her arms moved to his. She looked up into his eyes, and he looked down into hers. He tilted his head down and kissed her hesitantly. When she didn't pull away, he became more confident, drawing her into himself. Lily didn't notice, and pretty soon, neither did James. _We have got to do this more often.._ She melted in his arms… he could have stayed like that forever… suddenly, a crashing noise startled the two students apart. A few seconds later, they could hear a voice muttering to itself as it made it's inexplicable way towards them. "Quick! Look busy!" Lily whispered urgently. James sat on the ground quickly and stuck his leg out. Lily knelt beside him and was in the process of tearing a strip off her robes when their pursuer found his way into the clearing. It was Tennesin, and he was _not_ happy. An hour later, they were in the Headmaster's office again.

* * *

The months after that passed quickly. Their punishment for 'attempting to evade detention' was brief; all they had to do was spend four hours in the library shelving books. Aside from the talk Lily had promised, they hadn't discussed much about that night by the lake.

* * *

FLASHBACK

"Spill," Lily said calmly. For some reason, this terrified the three boys sitting guiltily in front of her more than if she had yelled. Remus hung his head, James studied his feet, and Sirius' eyes darted around, looking for possible exits. As they were inside a broom closet, there were few. James claimed that is was one of the safest places to talk inside the school, due to the fact that it was where the majority of Slytherins went to snog. Students from the other houses tended to avoid it as much as possible. One look was enough to last a lifetime. The closet was large, almost a walk-in. "Well…" James began hesitantly. After receiving encouraging nods from Sirius, which were mainly because he was relieved he didn't have to explain, James went on. "It all started in second year, when we realized Remus was a werewolf…" He went on to explain that instead of shunning him, as Remus had been sure they would, they had become Animagus to help their friend through his transformation. They had accompanied him every full moon from then on, keeping the monster in him at bay. "Until," James said dangerously, "last month." Sirius looked down ashamedly. "I-I wasn't paying attention," he said haltingly. James snorted. "Got that right," he muttered. "I was having too much fun, I forgot to watch him, and by the time I realized he had gone, I saw your sparks. I am _so_ _incredibly__sorry_. He could have killed either of you, and it would have been all my fault," Sirius said. Lily looked at Remus. "I dunno what I would have done if I had bitten you… I don't think I could have lived with myself after that. I completely understand if you don't want to be friends anymore…if there's anything I can do for you…_anything_…" Remus said quietly. Lily stood up. It looked like she was going to bolt for the door. Instead, she went over to where Remus was sitting with his back against the wall, and knelt down. She hugged him tightly before standing up again, saying meaningfully, "Well… there is one thing…"

"WHAT?" James' voice rang out through the hall.

* * *

An hour later, they were in the boy's dormitory. James' bed was strewn with books open to pages of brightly coloured animals and terrifying creatures which looked half human. One was a man with the tail of a sparrow and feathered arms, and another featured a woman with scales all over her legs and face. They had titles like 'Animagus for the Intelligent Witch' and '10,597 Things Not to do While Attempting to Transform Yourself Into a Sea Slug'. Lily sat on Peter's unused bed and read through one volume while James knelt by his trunk and removed a number of books. "This one was good. Catch," he said, throwing the book across the room. Lily caught it expertly (A/N: snatch! lol Emmy) and flicked it open. "Right," Lily announced minutes later. "I think I've got it."

"Ok. If you end up permanently splinching yourself, I am never going to forgive you," James announced. "Now, sit down somewhere comfortable, and drink this. You'll go into a trance state and see a picture of what your shape will be. You have no idea how lucky you are we had this potion left over. It takes a year to brew properly." They were alone in the room; Remus said he wanted to study, and Sirius was keeping him company. "All right," said Lily. "Doesn't sound that hard." She drank the clear potion and settled back against the pillows.

* * *

A/N: Well, that was fun! I respect romance writers now more then ever… that part was really hard to write! Tell me what you think, and ignore all my psychotic friends… if you dare! They have a habit of pushing you into desks… cough _SQUIBBLES!_ cough Lola—CINNAMON! Mmm…. 


	10. Squibbles on a Good Day

A/N: Well, we're in the double digits now, probably thanks to all my dedicated reviewers! Although now they've all pretty much abandoned me. Anna's gone off to Vermont for spring holidays, Emmy's in the Big Apple, Lola went to Honolulu, and Squibbles is in Tex-ass with all the hot fencing guys. Ah, well. At least I have Artemis. They're gonna kill me when they find out George got first dibs on a new chappie. Teehee. Anyway, here comes… chapter 10! TA-DA!

* * *

She tried to clear her mind, but predictably, thoughts like _this is stupid_ and _what is James gonna say if it turns out I'm an ant or something_ kept flitting across her mind. Gradually, she began to relax, basking in the sunlight that fell across the bed. She thought of shady clearings in Wales and the smell of cool earth pressing against her bare feet. The feel of the rough bark of trees and the fresh, clear, fresh scent of wind whipping her hair. Suddenly, she realized that she wasn't just recalling these things. She was in the glade she had envisioned, and it was just as she'd remembered it. There was just one problem: the scale was completely off. And it smelled…different. More exciting and earthy. She…_trotted?_…to a nearby pond and steeled herself to look at her reflection. What she saw there made her topple head over tail backwards in shock. _Literally_ head over tail. Lily slowly crept back to the edge of the pond and peeked in again. Two large, green eyes peered back at her bemusedly. Lily retreated and and twisted around to look at herself. She had a small, narrow snout and a petite body, the size of a house cat's. A long, bushy tail flicked back and forth teasingly in front of her round eyes. As she began to comprehend what her Animagus form was, the forest began to dim and fade away. With a start, she found herself back in the boy's dormitory, lying on the bed. James looked at her expectantly.

"A fox. My Animagus form is a silver fox," Lily said faintly.

* * *

James grinned happily, as did Lily, though hers was more of relief than glee. _Well, at least I'm not an ant…_she was surprised when James exclaimed, "This is perfect! You can come out with us at night, and-" Lily interrupted him. "Let me find out if I can actually transform first."

"Right," said James, suddenly businesslike once more. "Close your eyes again, and picture your animal. Be careful to focus on the feel, not the characteristics, or you might go mad…it gets safer with practice. Think of your thoughts and opinions in the fox's body…Perfect!" Before him sat a small silvery fox, which jumped up suddenly, tapping his nose with it's tail, before scampering around the room. James watched her for a while, laughing. "Not to burst your bubble, but you should change back now. It's not safe to transform unless you're in the forest. Anybody could walk in," James warned. The fox gave a snuffly little sigh, rolled over, and shimmered. Lily appeared lying on her back with a huge grin on her face. She accepted James' hand, and got to her feet, still smiling. "That," she said breathlessly, "was _fun_!"

* * *

Later, after they had packed all the books away and tidied up, they went to the library to collect Remus and Sirius. However, when they arrived there, they saw only Remus sitting at the table, with his head tilted back on his shoulders and a happy smile on his face. "Wow," said James as they approached the table. "It's really quiet."

"Shut up! I'm savoring it, you idiot!" Remus proclaimed grandly.

"Um… where's Sirius?" Lily inquired, edging around Remus as if he might explode at any moment. She had only known him for about two months, but she knew that this behavior was most unlike him. "Over there," Remus said, pointing to the bookcases. Lily cautiously walked over to the shelves, and peeped behind them cautiously. What she saw there made her laugh so hard she fell over. Sirius was sitting against the wall, and had been bound hand and foot. He even had a piece of what looked like duct tape on his mouth. In front of him, a book floated, turning pages occasionally. "Er…is Sirius… _reading?_" James asked disbelievingly.

"Well, not willingly, no. He was bothering me, so I took his wand and tied him up. I left the book there, floating, and eventually he got so bored he started reading. It's genius, mate, pure genius!" Remus said proudly. James laughed too, and soon Remus joined in. Madame Pince came over and kicked them out, but James decided to make a grand exit with Sirius, so instead of untying him, James slung him over his shoulder, and exited the library whistling _God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen_ under his breath, earning many stares and snickers. On the way to back to Gryffindor Tower, Remus questioned Lily as to what her form was, but she just smiled slyly. When they got to the dormitory, which was starting to feel a bit like home to Lily, they unchained Sirius and made him sit on the bed. He was pouting at all of them, but they could see even he accepted the humor of the situation.

* * *

"May I present to you," James proclaimed regally, "Lady Silverpaw!" He bowed as Lily shimmered in the air and transformed. Remus and Sirius exclaimed at the fox that sat in front of them, batting its eyes demurely. Lily jumped up and down, looking a bit like Sirius on a good day (A/N: or Squibbles, lol Kathryn). Even Sirius laughed at her overexcited antics. Suddenly, the fox stopped and stood straight, snout pointed at the door. The room went quiet for a moment, and then Lily transformed quickly, conjured up papers for the group, and sat on the floor, saying loudly, "So. Who understands number seven?" the boys looked at her like she was crazy. Lily sighed. "Fine. If you're not gonna cooperate, I'll go study with Rhia. See you at dinner." James started to say something, but Lily shook her head and made a slashing motion across her throat, signaling for them to keep quiet. She went to the door and opened it. "Rhia! I was just coming to find you. They're all hopeless at Charms. Come help me cram." She ushered Rhia away from the door, stuck her head back inside to where the three boys were sitting, shocked, and said simply, "See? Not crazy." Once the door shut, the three Marauders looked at each other. "I think we just found Silverpaw's job," Remus said finally.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this one was kinda short… I'm on a tight schedule what with all my SS homework, and I just really wanted to get one out. To all readers who are on Vaca: have fun! (I know that between bibliographies, hot air balloons, self-propelled cars, and dioramas, I am!) Read and REVIEW! 


	11. Paper Flowers

Hola! I tried to make this one long, because I dunno if I'll be able to get one up over April vaca, because I might be in Las Vegass (woopie. never been there before. thrills galore!) And yes, this chappie has a song in it by Evanescence. Note: this chapter is dedicated to Emmy Vance because I was mean to her in study. (sorrysorrysorry!)

* * *

After that, the months passed quickly. Remus, Sirius, and James invited Lily out on one of their moonlit escapades, and taught her everything they knew about being an animagus. Soon she was out in the forest every chance she got, living life as she never had before. She realized that even when she wasn't a fox, her senses were sharpened, so that she could smell what the house elves were making for dinner. Once Malfoy tried to prank the Marauders in return for their stunt with the robes and flags, and Lily was able to warn them ahead of tile when her eyes caught a flash of green in the corridor ahead of them. Soon it was time for Christmas break, and the five of them were saying goodbye. The ride back to London on the Express was, for the most part, uneventful. Lily was quiet and moody, and none but James knew why. She stared out the window, ignoring the sound of exploding snap echoing around the compartment behind her, and silently dreaded her return. What would her father say? Or, more importantly, do? Both Rhia and James had offered to let her stay at their houses, but Lily had decided that she couldn't avoid it forever, and it was better just to get it over with. As they neared London, however, she was beginning to regret her choice. At King's Cross, Lily hugged Rhia tightly and promised to write, then hugged Sirius and Remus. When she came to James, she looked at him, uncertain as to how to act. They hadn't talked about that night in the forest yet, though neither of them had forgotten. Lily hesitantly leaned forward, and he brought his mouth down to meet hers. The sound of clapping and whoops broke their kiss. Rhia, Sirius, and Remus were standing there, applauding loudly. Lily and James blushed. "Finally!" Rhia yelled over the noise of the 4:46 coming in parallel to them. James rolled his eyes and turned to look at Lily again. She grinned at him, and he hugged her tightly. "Are you sure you don't want to come back with me?" He whispered in her ear. Lily took a shaky breath. "Yeah." Pulling out her floo powder from her robes, she walked over to the stationmaster's office. "I can do this," she said softly to herself. Stepping into the fireplace, she cried "153 Terrace Circle," and disappeared in a flare of green flame.

* * *

Lily stumbled out of the small fireplace in the living room. She took a look at the space around her, taking in the faded olive green couch and the worn carpet. She checked her watch; it was five o'clock. Her father would be home in two hours, if he didn't stop at a bar on the way back. She dumped her trunk in her undersized room, which was just as she had left it four months ago. Lily took a deep breath and flipped her hair back into the bun she hadn't worn since September. She unpacked her clothing and opened the dresser draw, to reveal her old apron. She sighed as she tied it on. It felt like a suffocating blanket, crushing all the light and hope from her life. Lily walked slowly out to the kitchen, located the duster, and began to do her chores. The house was dustier than ever, because her father evidently hadn't done any housekeeping while she was gone. She coughed as she went over the mantelpiece, and wished more then ever that she was back at Hogwarts, studying for potions. Then she shook herself. She hadn't been back for an hour and already she was complaining. That was no good. This vacation wasn't going to be fun, certainly, but she didn't need to torture herself this early on. The hours went by slowly as she vacuumed, washed and dried dishes, and made the beds. As she was scrubbing the counters in the kitchen, Lily heard the front door slam, and looked up quickly as her father entered the room.

* * *

He stopped dead when he saw her, and she realized with a feeling of cold dread that she had been wrong. No matter how much she tried to lessen his anger, it wouldn't make a difference. He started toward her, breathing heavily. "You bitch! Leaving in the middle of your chores, not even asking me for permission-" her father continued along this line until he had her cornered near the icebox. Then he took a swing at her, which she ducked neatly. This was followed by a swift punch to the stomach, which she couldn't avoid. There was a sickening crunch as at least two of her ribs broke. Lily doubled over, gasping in pain as black spots began to invade her vision. She was barely conscious of the rain of blows pummeling away at her body as she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

The weeks continued like this. Her father locked the refrigerator, and only gave her food if he remembered, which wasn't often. And when he did, it was only a piece of celery or a potato chip. Lily could have picked the lock easily, but her father would have noticed for sure. He didn't seem to be drinking as much, but that was bad news. It didn't stay his hand at all; if anything it made his aim more precise. By the end of two weeks, Lily had no strength left. Her eyes were a dull green, and they were devoid of any life. She had been washing the dishes after her father's dinner, and everything went a blinding white in her vision for a moment. It left her dizzy, and she lost her footing momentarily. The plate crashed to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. Lily saw everything in slow motion, through glazed eyes. Her father advanced slowly, piggish eyes glinting dangerously. He reared back his fat hand, smacking her across the face. Her hand, in turn, flew up to the side of her face as she fell backwards, hitting her head against the sharp edge of the counter. She curled up on the floor loosely, only partly aware that she should protect her vital organs. Her father took off his belt, cursing her as he did. He brought it up over his head, and brought it down with a savage motion. Lily cried out as the leather sliced into her skin. This continued for over ten minutes, during which Lily discovered that the pain was worse when she shut her eyes. They connected with the wall of her room, which was visible through the open door. On the wall, there was a small, moving photo; it had been taken about a month ago, outside in the grounds of Hogwarts. The lake glistened silvery-blue, and a warm sun shone down on the five friends. Rhia and Sirius were bickering, and Remus was alternating between trying to pacify them and working on his History of Magic Essay. James was giving Lily a piggyback, and staggering around. Lily clung on tightly and tried not to lose her grip on his hair and neck. They were both laughing hysterically. Sirius pushed Rhia into the lake, and she scrambled out, sopping wet, and chased him around the photo. That was what Lily concentrated on then, as her father beat her nearly senseless. She was almost praying to go unconscious; at least then she wouldn't feel the endless pain.

* * *

_In my field of paper flowers_

_And candy clouds of lullaby_

_I lie inside myself for hours_

_And watch my purple sky fly over me…

* * *

_

Suddenly, just as she was tensing up for the next blow, there was a small pop. The blow never came. She cautiously looked up, and saw James' enraged face glaring at something near her. Then he looked up, and saw her. "Oh my god, Lily, what has he been doing to you?" he said. Lily tried to get up, but gasped in pain, and slid down the wall again. James bent down, pocketed something on the floor, and slid his arms around her, lifting her up. He carried her to the fireplace and, ducking his head, he stepped inside, still carrying her. They were gone in a burst of emerald fire.

* * *

James sat by the bed and watched Lily's face, so peaceful in sleep. She had fallen asleep in the fireplace, and now, nearly seven hours later, she still slept. He watched the covers rise and fall with her light breaths, and wished more then ever that he had insisted that she spend the holidays with him or Rhia. Her face was unhealthily pale, and dark bruises covered it. She was thinner than ever, and her arms and legs were discoloured, too. Her hair, which had always been a vibrant red, was now a dull, brownish colour, and was dusty because of the housework she had been doing almost nonstop. And when James had gently rolled her over, he had been shocked at the sight that greeted him; her back was worse than ever. Many of the old scars had spilt open again, and there were numerous new cuts that had been bleeding heavily. He had, of course, immediately called in his mother, who was a healer. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, but then without asking questions, strode across the room and began to tend to Lily. When your son was friends with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, you got used to unusual things. But as she worked and discovered more and more marks on the girl's body, she began to be curious, and angry. Who would do something like this to a young girl? She had to take a break to stop her hands from shaking in fury. The child had six broken ribs, a broken arm, three broken fingers, and severe lacerations on her back, not to mention the bruises. Normally Mrs. Potter would have had to shoo James out of the room, but this time he just sat there, staring at his hands. It worried her. Finally she sat back, and turned to James. "Who is she?"

"I failed her. It's my fault. I should have made her come here for the holidays. It's all my fault." James responded in a dull, toneless voice. His mother sighed. She knew her son well enough to know that it would be no use talking to him until his private pity party was done. "I'll just send Kelsey up with some food then," she said brightly, before leaving the room.

"I don't deserve it," James muttered to himself, banging his head slowly on the bed stand.

"James?" a soft voice asked.

* * *

"Lily! You're awake! Thank god," James exclaimed, seeing Lily sitting up in bed. Just then a small girl with straight black hair entered the room quietly. "Um…James? Mum told me to give this to you…" she said uncertainly.

"Thanks, Kels. That's my little sister Kelsey," he added for Lily's benefit. "She's nine, and the smartest kid in her grade!" Kelsey blushed. Lily smiled, seeing how much James loved his little sister.

"Who're you?" the little girl asked Lily shyly.

"I'm Lily."

"Hi, Lily!"

"Hello, Kelsey!" Kelsey giggled, and Lily laughed too.

"Kels, honey, come on down!" James' mother called.

"Be right there!" Kelsey yelled back deafeningly, prompting Lily to wince and cover her ears. James just grinned.

"You get used to it," he said

"What?" Lily deadpanned back, before laughing. She swung her legs around so she was sitting on the bed, and slowly got up. Surprisingly, she could walk fine. Lily grinned. "My mum," James explained. After she had walked around the room a few times, he asked, "D'you want a tour?"


	12. All That Matters is Happening Now

AN: Hey peoples! Sorry I haven't gotten a chappie out in a while…kinda thought that nobody loved me (sniff sniff tear tear). But then I got SodaFizZz19's review, and I was instantly motivated! If anyone out there is reading, and not reviewing, you are putting this entire fic in jeopardy! It doesn't take much…just type a 'good job' or an 'it sucked' and I'm satisfied. Kay? Kay. Anyway, this chap is dedicated to SodaFizZz19 for being an awesome reader!

* * *

"And this," James concluded, "Is the kitchen. And now…_food_!" Lily laughed as Mrs. Potter came in, bearing a huge platter of food. Pastry, soup, chicken, pie, treacle…she had never seen so much food, except at Hogwarts. She was a bit shy, and noticing this, James' mum came over and hugged her tightly, saying," You poor, poor girl. Don't you worry about, a thing; you can stay here as long as you want. You will never have to go back there, ever again. Ever!" Lily blushed red, and James grinned at her.

"Erm…" Lily said timidly, "What happened to…to…to my dad?" James proudly produced a clear potions flask form his pocked and handed it over. Inside was a large, repulsive-looking slug. Lily crinkled her nose in disgust. "That's him?" At James' nod of confirmation, she said decisively, "Good. What are you going to do with him?"

"I dunno. He's _your_ dad," James replied.

"You children can think about that…thing…later," Mrs. Potter said. "Although, if it were me, I would drown him in a fish tank, dry him out, stomp on him, and feed him to a hippogriff. If one would even waste it's time on him. What?" she asked defensively, noticing Lily and James staring at her, not without a little fear in their eyes. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Within minutes, they were seated at the circular kitchen table, eating everything in reach. Lily mulled over everything she had seen since waking up. The Potter Mansion was small for an estate, but what it lacked in size, it made up for in charm. There were four bedrooms: one each for Kelsey, James, his parents, and a guest room. There were also two bathrooms and a kitchen, library, dining room, study, and living room. Although it was winter, the lovely garden in the back looked beautiful, just right for taking a stroll in. To Lily, the Potter Mansion felt like home.

* * *

She and James spent the rest of the day inside, doing their homework in the spacious and warm library. They went to bed at ten, and as Lily looked through her window before closing the curtain, she saw a single flake of snow drift down, clear against the black night sky. Climbing into bed, she snuggled deeper into the sheets, completely forgetting that tomorrow was Christmas.

'Lily! Lily, wake up! Presents! Come on, Lily, wake up! It's Christmas!" Lily opened her eyes sleepily to find a hyperactive nine-year-old girl bouncing on her bed. She groaned and rolled over, only to have an 'Ooomph' escape her as the breath was knocked out of her lungs. Kelsey had decided that since bouncing on the bed wasn't working, she should bounce on Lily instead.

"All right, all right, I'm up! I'll be down in a minute," she grumbled, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed as Kelsey skipped happily out of the room, probably to go wake up James in a similar way. Lily walked over to the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Her eyes had returned to close to their normal vibrancy, and although she still had some bruises (and the scars on her back, arms, and legs would probably never go away) she was fine otherwise. She shrugged on a dressing gown and went downstairs, seeing Kelsey, James, and their mother and father waiting for her. Mr. Potter was a tall man, with untidy hair likes James', and glasses. Lily ran the last few feet and settled herself next to James, becoming part of the circle around the tree. It was beautiful; at least ten feet tall and decorated with a hodge-podge of ornaments. When her mom had still lived with them, they had rarely had a tree, and when they did, it was decorated with only a few ornaments, which usually fell off after a few hours, being the cheap plastic ones you could buy at Wal-Mart (not sure if they have those in England, but oh well. You know what I mean). Lily had never opened presents as a family before, so she watched carefully to see how it worked. James solved her dilemma by reaching over and grabbing a present from the top of the pile.

"This one's for you," he said shyly. Lily opened it slowly, savoring the crisp newspaper it was wrapped in, evidentially a Potter tradition, since all of the presents were wrapped in that fashion. It was small, about three inches square, and once the paper was off, it looked like a jewelry box. Lily opened it carefully, and her face glowed as she pulled out the contents. A small, silver fox was supported on a fine silver chain, with bright green emeralds for eyes. While James' parents looked on with confusion as to why their son would give such an odd gift, James leaned over to Lily. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he whispered, "Look at it more closely." Lily lifted it up to her eye level, and gave a muffled gasp as the small fox seemed to yawn and flick it's tail. The green eyed blinked. "Oh. My. God!"

She flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I love it," she whispered in his ear, and felt, rather than saw, him smile in relief.

* * *

The morning continued like this; Lily received a beautiful new silvery cloak from James' parents and a box of homemade treacle, and Kelsey gave her a photo album, which Lily later filled with pictures of her year at Hogwarts. She gave the Potters a rare wizarding plant; James had told her that they were into gardening. She gave Kelsey a small broomstick; it was a child-sized one, and wouldn't fly more than 10 feet off the ground. Kelsey squealed in delight. Lily had done all of her shopping in Hogsmeade, except for one present: Jamses'. She had already given him a bag of Bertie Botts, but he was slightly disappointed that that was it. But he shook it off, and tried to be happy for the sake of Christmas.

The rest of the day passed fairly quickly. They had a small breakfast, and bypassed lunch. Mrs. Potter explained that they were going to have a large dinner, and James later elucidated that Sirius, Remus, and the werewolf's family were coming over. It was going to be a bit formal, until they could get away from the adults. Lily grinned; this would be the perfect end to a perfect day. Around five, on their way back from a walk in the wintry garden, she pulled James into a small room near the library, which was filled with small magical trinkets.

"This is for you," she whispered softly, pulling a small brown pouch from her jean pocket. "Marauders forever" she murmured distinctly. To James' delight, the pouch expanded to about 10 time s it's size. Lily handed it over to him, and as he examined the exterior, he realized something. The pouch was not made of fabric, as he had thought, but of twigs, bark, leaves, and…moonlight? It glowed slightly, and James was amazed to find that it was supple, like fine linen. Lily, watching anxiously, saw him reach inside and pull something out. It was a small wooden disk, about three inches in diameter, with carvings all around the edge. The engravings featured a fox, dog, wolf, stag and an herb. Heather, it looked like. James raised his eyebrows quizzically, and Lily said, "It's Rhia. Since she's not 'mangus, I just put down what I think of when I'm near her. Beautiful, but tough. Does that make sense?" James nodded.

"The disk symbolizes…well, all of us. As well as being a bit of a souvenir, each of our symbols will glow when one of us is near to whoever is holding it," Lily explained nervously. James looked at the disk more closely, and noticed that the fox and the stag's outlines were glowing faintly. He looked solemnly up into Lily's eyes, grinned, and then flung his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "Bloody hell, Lils! I can't believe you! This is…this is amazing! Wow." He ran his hands distractedly through his hair and let out a breath. "How in Merlin's beard did you make this?" He gestured at the small bag and wooden disk.

"Well, Mr. Potter…the foxes know a lot more than you'd think," Lily replied saucily. She laughed. "I'm glad you like them!"

"Like them? Are you mad? I _love_ them!" James exclaimed. He hugged her again. Just then, a shout came from the kitchen.

"Lily! James! Mum says dinner in half an hour!"

"Got it, Kels. Thanks!" James hollered back. Lily said, "I'm gonna go get changed, kay?" James nodded, and replied that he should probably do the same.

* * *

Up in her room, Lily realized that she had nothing to wear. She opened the wardrobe near her bed hopefully, and was astonished and relieved to see that is was full of beautiful gowns. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they were all her size. Grinning, she thought happily to herself, _wizards_. Lily took a shower, and felt the pounding water cascade down her back, massaging kinks out of it she hadn't realized she had. She toweled dry her hair and swept it up on top of her head, in an elegant updo. Lily slipped on the dress that she liked the best, and after applying a bit of eyeliner and slipping on a pair of dangly, silver earrings, she looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a floor-length, strapless black dress that fit her shape perfectly, and elegant black slippers. Her coiled hair looked slightly messy, the way she liked it, and bits of it hung loose and curled about her neck. All in all, elegant. But still…there was something missing. Suddenly, Lily realized what it was. Walking over to the dresser, she lifted out of its box the necklace James had given her, and fastened it around her neck. There; it was perfect.

* * *

10 minutes later, she made her way down to the dining room. The Lupins were already there, as were Sirius and all of the Potters. As she walked in, Sirius whistled appreciatively. Lily just stuck her nose in the air and walked airily past, spoiling the effect by turning her head at the last moment and sticking her tongue out impishly at him. Sirius smirked.

The dinner was a huge success; Lily, James, Remus, and Sirius kept the adults busy with tales about their teachers at Hogwarts, and when it was over, they gratefully escaped the confines of the table and ran outside. Lily used a simple spell to split her dress horizontally, so that it only came down to mid-thigh. She felt like running. Besides, the dress could be repaired with a wave of her wand.

"I'm gonna go run for a bit. Anyone want to come?" she asked. James said he would, but Sirius and Remus declined. Lily took off, relishing the wind whipping through her, and the feeling of floating rather that running. James found it different to keep up, and when they decided to rest, the two teens tumbled to the ground in a tangle, laughing. Lily hadn't paid much attention to where they were going; now that she looked around, it was a small glade of trees surrounded by the night sky. She looked over at James, still restless from the run, and aught him looking at her. She suddenly felt more breathless than before. Soon, they were kissing, although Lily couldn't tell exactly how it had come to pass. All that mattered was happening now.

* * *

Half an hour later, they decided that they should head back to the mansion. As they entered the wide entryway, they heard voices coming from the library, and looked in to find the rest of the family, Sirius, and the Lupins there, talking and playing chess. Kelsey had been sent up to bed an hour earlier. Lily and James settled down and soon were warm and sleepy from the fire. At about one in the morning, they got up and prepared to go to bed. Remus and Sirius would be spending the night, so they got up too. That was when they all heard the front door blow off its hinges, and saw hundreds of men in dark robes and masks pour into the Mansion. 


	13. Private Would be Good

A/N: Hola, duckies! I tried to get this one out asap. It's so much more interesting to write when I know people are actually READING…anyway, this chapter is dedicated to two people: my darling friend Edna, who just had her 13th birthday and Bat Mitzvah. I want all of you readers to sing Happy Birthday really loudly right now, for her. SING! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! Ok, sorry bout that. Moving on, the second person is Emmy, who called me back after I helped her cheat on a science assignment to tell me that she got a 95 on her math test. YAY! This might not seem so great, but the average grade in my math class is a C. And I'm in the SMART math class. Eep.Well, toodloo! Here's the super-long Ch. 13:

* * *

"Oh, shit," James whispered, shutting the door Lily and his parents, hearing the tone of urgency in his voice, drew their wands quickly.

"One," James said quietly.

"Two."

"Three."

The doors blasted open, showering those inside with bits of wood and metal.

Lily flinched as a splinter opened a cut on her cheek. There was silence for a moment, during which she was acutely aware of the lines of blood trickling down her face from various cuts and scratches. Then, all hell broke loose. Curses and hexes were shot in every direction, and soon it was utter chaos. Lily was slightly surprised to find that she did not freeze up, as she had feared. Instead, she found herself letting go of all emotion, and forgetting about everything unnecessary. She focused only on whoever was attacking her and pinpointing where the next attack would come from. Stunning a man in front of her, she whirled around to petrify another who had been sneaking up behind her. Suddenly, a line of fire appeared on her leg. She fell to her knees, crying out in pain. A man in dark robes stood over her.

"Say goodbye," he rasped, right before his eyes widened in shock and he toppled over, stiff as a board. James stood behind him, looking angrier than Lily had ever seen him.

"You ok?" he asked, all anger leaving his face and being replaced with concern.

"No," Lily said honestly. He helped her to her feet, and ignoring the puddle of blood forming on the floor from her leg, they walked back into the battle. Most of the robed figures had gathered around the huge fireplace, attacking the Potters. The couple was giving as good as they got, sending off hexes left and right. James looked at Lily, raising an eyebrow and grinning. She immediately knew what he meant, and nodded back firmly, grinning as well. Neither of their smiles was happy; they were smiles of satisfaction and hate, the smiles of those who have little to lose and choose to do the impossible anyway. They both knew that there was little chance that they would get out of this alive; they were fighting 15:1, not a good number in any situation.

"Now?"

"Now."

Lily and James shot banishing hexes at once, sending most of the men flying back into the roaring fire. A cloud of soot enveloped everyone present, causing all to have violent coughing fits. They all seemed to regain their wind at the same time, and the fighting began anew. The men that had been blown backwards into the fire clambered out of it quickly, and stumbled around the room, trying to put out the flames devouring their robes. Soon, the walls of the library were burning. Lily and James refocused themselves, both noting that there were at least 75 black-robed men still fighting_. Where did they all come from?_ James had time to think, before he was drawn back into the fight. About five minutes later, they were still standing, and still fighting. Suddenly, James heard his mother's voice float over the room. "James! You and Lily get out of here! Take Sirius and the Lupins, go upstairs, find your sister, and get out! Go! We'll hold them off!" James hesitated in indecision, clearly unable to decide whether or not to abandon his parents. This cost him dearly, as a disarmed man swung his arm back and punched James in the eye.

"Stupify!" The man fell over, limp.

"GO!" This time his father's voice cut across the library, urgent. James hurried over to where Sirius and Remus were fighting back-to-back. The three of them struggled over to Lily and the Lupins respectively, and in time the six of them were fighting their way over to the demolished library doors. Spelling furiously, they gained the exit and sprinted up the grand staircase, away from the soot, flames, smoke, and heat of battle. The relative silence upstairs was almost eerie, as were the occasional muted screams that reached their ears, coming from downstairs. James walked quickly over to a small cabinet set into the wall, opening the doors clumsily in his haste. He handed out a button to each person, instructing him or her to say 'Take me away from turmoil and fear, help me make my escape and disappear'. One by one, they all spoke the rhyme, and one by one they vanished in a flash of light. Finally, James offered one to Lily, the last person remaining beside himself.

"No," she said flatly. "I'm not leaving without you."

"Lils-"

"Don't bother, it won't work. Resistance is futile. Let's go get Kelsey," she said. James sighed and walked down the hall, resigned to the fact that given the tone of her voice, it would be pointless to argue further. As he pulled open the door, he froze, eyes wide in shock. Lily, slipping around him to see what the holdup was, stopped as well. A black masked figure stood by the side of Kelsey's bed, wand pointed at the sleeping child's heart.

"Avada Kedavra," he said gleefully. There was a flash of green light. Even though Lily had never seen this curse before, she knew exactly what had happened. Dimly aware of James' anguished cry beside her, she watched as the man turned to face them.

"You're next, boyo," the man drawled, raising his wand so that it pointed at James.

"Avada Kedavra."

* * *

Though her arm shook, Lily's aim was true, and the black-robed figure fell to the floor, dead. Something inside of her had snapped. She was sick of it-sick of being helpless, and sick of standing by while people she cared about were hurt. 

"Lily-"

"Not now. We need to get out of here first."

"Right." Picking up Kelsey's hand, which was still warm, she put one finger on the button, soon joined by hers and James'.

"Take me away from turmoil and fear, help me make my escape and disappear," James said. They disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind an empty bedroom.

* * *

"Um…Lily? Is it possible to influence a portkey from the outside? Cause I think I just did…"

"Huh?" the full force of what had happened hit Lily full in the chest. James' parents…they were…they had to be…no. They were alive. They could have gotten out…but inside, a small voice told her that no, they were never coming back. They. Were. Dead. And Kelsey…well, there could be no confusion about her. Cradled in Lily's arms, the child's body got steadily colder as the wind whipped around them. Wait…wind? Where were they, anyway?

"Where are we?"

"That's just what I mean. I have no clue. The portkey was supposed to take us somewhere safe. I had assumed that would be the Ministry or something, not this godforsaken patch of scrub…the buttons are ancient, great-great gramma Satine spelled them…always knew she was a loony, but this is a bit much…" As James rambled on, Lily took a look around. They were on a grassy knoll, in the middle of nowhere, it seemed. She spied a river in the distance, twining like a snake across the land. And next to it was…a cottage? It looked like one, and it was their best bet, so Lily pointed it out to James. As they descended from the hill, James halted abruptly, nearly tripping Lily. "I'm the last one, then. The last Potter." He visibly paled, clearly realizing that he would never see his parents again, or talk to his sister. Burdened as she was with Kelsey's body, Lily couldn't do much to comfort him, but she tried. Putting the child gently on the ground, she went over to James and hugged him hard. He hugged back, clinging to her as if she was a rock in the sea of his sadness. The stayed like that for a few minutes, then James pulled away. "Let's go," he said hoarsely. He picked up his sister reverently, and they began the walk down to the river. The going was hard and arduous; by the time they got halfway there, Lily's feet had begun to throb; she had lost her shoes somewhere in the mansion. By the time they got to the shack, she was shivering as well; she was wearing only the jeans and tank top she had put on after her and James' walk earlier that night. That attire was fine for an evening spent before a roaring fire, but it did not work well in the wilderness. That night all seemed so long ago now…the sharp December wind cut into her skin, tossing her hair about her face and causing her teeth to chatter. Her injured leg throbbed angrily with every step she took. Flicking her wand wearily, Lily opened the doors to the shack. The light from their wands, which they had lit earlier, revealed that the building was some kind of boathouse. It hadn't been used in years; cobwebs festooned every corner, and dust rose in clouds beneath their feet. Four canoes were stacked beside the wall, and sticking her head out the back door, Lily discovered that the river flowed by barely a yard from the door. She gave this information to James, who had remained silent for the whole walk down. Lily hadn't minded; she had been deep in thought as well. They had placed Kelsey in a canoe when they arrived; now they wrapped her in canvas carefully and put her back into the canoe. Carrying it out to the water's edge, they slid it partway into the water. Lily walked over to her, and knelt by the girl's head, which they had left free of the canvas. "I didn't know you so well," she murmured, "but James loved you so you must have been a good person." She fumbled with the words, and then moved on. "You were the closest thing I've ever had to a sister. I swear to you, you will be avenged. Whoever those men are, I'll bet that this isn't the last family they'll murder." She backed away. James bent over and kissed her forehead, murmuring something to her. He moved away and used a simple spell to sew the canvas up over her face, and Lily helped him push the small boat into the water. "Incendio," James said quietly, pointing his wand at the boat. Flames began to burn merrily as the boat moved down the river. Lily watched the boat's departure, crying silently. Oddly enough, instead of the stench of burning flesh, the air was filled with the scent of roses. Soft, ghostly laughter swirled around them, tossed on the wind. A face seemed to form on the surface of the water: a lovely, feminine face, with long, swaying greenish-gold hair like seaweed, and a sad-but-sweet smile. The woman's face slowly became more distinct, and rose out of the water, so that her head was above the surface.

"Do not worry," she said in a voice that matched her smile, melancholic but peaceful. "Your sister will not be forgotten so long as this river flows. Go in peace, with my blessing. She will not be forgotten…" the woman smiled again and sank back into the water, leaving a circle of ripples in her wake.

"What," James managed, "was _that_? A mermaid?"

"No," replied Lily softly. "_That_ was no mermaid. _That_ was a goddess. My mum used to tell me about them, before…" she trailed off. "They're nearly extinct. They are immortal, of course, but definitely not all-powerful. They can be killed. Of course, what my mum knew, she had from a muggle perspective. But it got me interested enough to try to find out if it was true. I checked the library in my old school…they had a book on it. About two hundred years ago, magical folk thought that the gods and goddesses were all-powerful, but that was all they knew. Somebody voiced an opinion that they would all turn against the wizarding world someday. The idea caught on, and there was a bit of a massacre. Some survived, of course, and now we know that they're really just independent creatures, like centaurs. But to be blessed by one…the only people who ever get blessed by gods are heroes or…or heroes," Lily finished, looking a bit shocked at it all.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," James said more firmly then he felt. "Let's get to sleep." They went back inside the boathouse and made up a bed, using canvas as the padding and sheets. When they finished, James turned around. "She was my little sister!" he cried, falling to his knees and running his hands through his hair. "My sister! She was so young! I loved her, and she _died_! I _loved_ her!" Lily knelt beside him, hugging him hard.

"I know, I know," she soothed. Then her voice grew hard. "The only way we can make anything better is to do everything in our power to stop whoever did this. I guarantee that yours won't be the only family they murder. I think of it like this: picture a number line, with 0 in the middle and negative and positive numbers around it. When something bad happens, the mark goes to a negative. The only way we can get to 0 again is to do something positive. It's all about the balance." She felt James nod, and he let go of her.

"You must think I'm an idiot," he said hoarsely.

"No," Lily replied honestly, "I think you're the strongest person I know."

* * *

They set out from the boathouse at around 10 in the morning. Neither of them had been able to sleep; dreams of the mansion and the events that had occurred there presented themselves as the stuff of nightmares. So it was that midday found them trekking along the moor, feet bloody, bruised, and aching. Lily had bandaged her leg, but since neither of them knew any healing charms, there wasn't much she could do. She used a point-me spell occasionally, using it to direct them to Hogwarts. Soon enough, the castle loomed up on the horizon. Their eyes had deceived them, however; the castle was much farther away than it looked, and by the time they reached the school, it was going on 8 o'clock. The gates swung open soundlessly as the neared them; Lily and James were too exhausted to notice. Heading up the front path, they reached the great doors. Pausing for a moment, they both took a deep breath_. One, two, three_. They pushed open the doors and instantly all the sound from the welcome back feast ceased. All eyes turned their way, and people began to whisper. All of the teachers looked shocked, and they too were silent, except for McGonnagoll, who had begun choking on a swig of pumpkin juice. Madame Hooch was absently giving her the himeleck (SP) maneuver while gazing in shock at the two students approaching them. James gulped. As they walked down the hall, Lily found herself thinking, Sweet Merlin; we must look absolutely wretched…she checked off each injury as it came to her. Tiny cuts and scratches all over her face and arms from the flying door debris, soot from the fireplace, charred clothing and hair from the fire, her leg, which was still bleeding sluggishly, causing her to sway slightly as she walked, even with James holding her elbow so she didn't collapse, her bare feet, swollen and bleeding from the walk to the school, her jeans and tank top, ripped and burned in a hundred places (luckily nowhere incriminating), her eyes, which were red-rimmed from lack of sleep, and had shadows surrounding them… she was aware of the tear tracks that had cleaned a track down her cheeks. And James…he was in much of the same condition: cuts, blood, soot, tears, shadows…he had a perfectly lovely black eye, and winced with every step he took. Now that she thought of it, so did she. Probably not a good sign. As they neared the table, they noticed that the entire group of sixth-year Gryffindors had gathered around the table, and appeared to be harassing Dumbledore. They had, of course, stopped talking, but as Lily and James drew near their friends, three of the students found their voices.

"Thank God," breathed Remus.

"Sweet Merlin," Rhia said.

"Holy shit, Prongs!" That was Sirius (duh).

"Not now," James said firmly.

"Welcome back, Miss Evans, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said warmly. He looked to be the only teacher capable of speech, including McGonnagoll, who was folded over the table, hyperventilating. "Might I have an explanation regarding your prolonged absence?" Despite his apparent carefree manner, James could detect a hint of relief in the old man's eyes. "Perhaps it would be better if we discussed it…privately," he said delicately. Albus nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, that would be best, I can see," he said, half to himself. "If you'll excuse me," he muttered to the teachers as he pushed back his chair and stood. Without warning, Lily stumbled. _So tired_…it felt like all of her power was draining out, leaving her weak as a kitten…_just a little nap_…She crumpled to the floor.

"Shit!" exclaimed James. He had just caught sight of the bandage for her leg, which had become unwrapped somehow. Her leg, now without any pressure on it to slow the bleeding, now bled freely. Where she lay on the floor, a large puddle of blood was forming on the floor around her leg. Some of the more squeamish students turned green. James knelt by her side, not knowing what to do.

"Keep her talking. Whatever happens, don't let her go to sleep," a familiar voice said in his ear. James looked up to find that Rhia, Sirius, and Remus were kneeling on the floor as well. "If she falls asleep, she could go into a coma and never wake," Remus continued. "And be on you're guard. Blood loss does odd things to wizards…" No sooner had he said this than Lily began to shimmer. "Down!" Rhia yelled suddenly. "Down, down, down!" Everyone in the hall, including the teachers, threw themselves onto the ground, covering their heads. The shimmer turned into a constant, blinding light, and Lily began to scream. It was a horrible sound, one that felt like sadness, despair, helplessness…As it stopped, winds wrapped around the girl and leaves formed from nothing, to twirl around her body. Voices filled the hall, loud and booming.

"You useless whore! I spend hours a day working to feed you, and you spend my money on…books! I'll teach you a lesson no book can give…"

"I'm James. James Potter."

"I'm going, Billy, and I'm taking Petunia with me!"

"Go, with my blessing. She will not be forgotten…"

"She was my little sister! I loved her, and she died! I loved her!"

"James! You and Lily get out of here! Take your sister and go!"

"Another detention, Silverpaw? Tsk tsk tsk…you're coming up on our record!"

"Say goodbye…"Abruptly, the light went out. At the same time, every single piece of glass in the room broke: the windows, goblets, chandeliers… The students cautiously uncovered their heads, wary of any more explosions.

"Ah, yes…private would be very good, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore declared.

* * *

A/N: TADA! apologies go out to Emmy, whose cameo in this is now over.. :( tell me what you think! Loved it, hated it... 

xoxoxoxoxo

shade


	14. I Don't Actually Like Crumpets

A/N: Hello there! ..: ducks pitchforks and tomatoes:.. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know I haven't updated in, like, a year. SORRY! But seriously, I have been busy. Got a job over the summer (sailing instructor 5 days a week), and now that school's back, I have to deal with homework and being a major band geek, not to mention my friend's wedding (YAY for Becky Gettel!) so I haven't had a lot of time. And now, for an announcement. I AM SICK. VERY, VERY SICK. What Lily feels towards the end of this chapter is actually how I'm feeling right now, down to the eyelids. Meh. So, ya. I 3 Halls cough drops. I think I OD'd on Claritin too. Oh well. If it helps the writing. And now, for another announcement. The idea for the scene with the couch and the search (trying to be vague here) IS NOT MINE. It's Abraxan's, from the story Order of the Phoenix or Well of Shadows (I'm not sure which). Speaking of that, those stories are AWESOME! 5 stars. Go read them. After this, of course. LAST ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm gonna shut up now, but if you like this story, I started a second one too, so go check it out! OK, on with the story. Much love!

* * *

Disclaimer: All I own is my meds, my hamster, and my tenor sax. And my cummerbund and retarded tux shirt (why they make girls wear them is beyond me). So, I do not own HP.

* * *

Previously:

"Say goodbye…" Abruptly, the light went out. At the same time, every single piece of glass in the room broke: the windows, goblets, chandeliers… The students cautiously uncovered their heads, wary of any more explosions.

"Ah, yes…private would be very good, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore declared.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, and Rhia, who had insisted on being there, were gathered in Dumbledore's office, naturally accompanied by the aged Headmaster himself (the Lupins had flooed home after deciding that they could not give the Headmaster any information other than that which their son already had). The four students, excluding Rhia, had just told the old wizard their explanations, and now Albus was mulling over the situation in his head.

Sirius, Remus, and the Lupins had been portkeyed successfully to the Ministry of Magic, and from there they had used a public fireplace to floo to Hogwarts. Unfortunately, Albus had been away for the Christmas holiday, since none of the students had elected to stay at the school over break. He had been in Honolulu for the week, and by the time the urgent owl had reached him, almost 24 hours had passed. He had apparated back to Scotland immediately, appearing just in time for the welcome back feast.

As soon as he sat down at the Head Table, he had been bombarded by anxious students, all demanding to know where Lily and James had disappeared to, and what had happened to the Potters. At which point two of the people in question had staggered into the Great Hall, barely able to stand upright, chilled to the bone (despite the warming charms they had obviously applied) and looking more traumatized then anyone Albus had ever seen.

* * *

Immediately after that, one of them had collapsed, succumbed to a huge amount of magical backwash, and promptly dismantled the entire Hall. Miss Evans had come round about ten minutes later to find herself in the Headmaster's office, where she and the others involved began telling their story (I could start over again at the beginning of this paragraph, but because I love you guys I won't (lol)) Lily and James, although they were somewhat cleaned up, thanks to a hastily applied _scourgify, _were still looking like a herd of hippogriffs had trampled them and then dragged them into the lake. "So…um, can we go now, sir?" asked Lily tiredly, too weary to perform more than the basic motions of respect. "If you don't mind, I, at least, am loving the idea of a shower right about now."

"Of course. I bid you all goodnight," the headmaster said, smiling at the group of students. They trooped out of his room silently, and he settled back in his chair, deep in thought. He had a feeling that there was a long, sleepless night awaiting him.

* * *

Up in Gryffindor Tower, five teenagers stood staring at each other in front of the empty common room fire. "Well…good night?" James said uncertainly.

"Night," Lily said, giving James a concerned look before heading back up to her dorm, Rhia following. Both she and Sirius, usually the liveliest of the group, had stayed abnormally silent that night, out of respect for their two friends, who obviously didn't want to talk much.

* * *

Once they were up in the girls' dorm, Lily made her excuses to Rhia and went to take a shower. She turned the showerhead onto scalding heat, stripped, and stepped in, sighing in relief. Muscles that she hadn't even known she had unkinked, and the pounding water beat at her body, warming her from head to toe. Scrubbing furiously, Lily scraped at her body until she was red raw all over. She wanted to feel _clean_ again. As this thought occurred to her, she stood bright upright in the shower, stunned. _I _killed _someone tonight, _she thought, dazed. _I'm a murderer. _She stood there for a minute, letting the word fill her up to the brim and flow out, saturating her very essence. _Murderer. Murderer. Murderer. _

She felt like screaming, crying, hitting something, anything, to make the words go away. She settled for wrenching the shower dial sharply, causing the water to shoot out at a quicker rate, and to increase in temperature dramatically. She gave a sharp gasp as the near-boiling water hit her skin, luxuriating in the pain. After a few moments, she turned it off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself on the way. Her skin was bright red from the heat and intensity of the water, and she was shivering all over. Toweling her hair dry swiftly, she flipped it back a few times to give it body and left it framing her pale face, the only part of her body that had escaped the blistering water. Shrugging on a camisole and short boxers, she winced as they touched her bare skin. Lily slipped into the bedrooms and saw Rhia waiting, cross-legged, on her bead, looking expectant but cautious.

* * *

"Hey, Lils," she said quietly. Lily gave a weak smile back. "You wanna talk about it, hon?"

"Maybe later," Lily said exhaustedly, taking a seat next to her friend. "My agenda thus far is sleep, eat, sleep, sleep, sleep, and eat, then more sleep. I'll let you know if I see an opening anywhere in there later," she said, yawning widely. Rhia put a reassuring hand on her arm, and Lily bit her tongue to keep from wincing at the pressure on her raw skin.

"OK. Just remember, I'll be right here whenever you're ready to talk," the other girl said seriously. Lily hugged her, her muscles resenting every movement. Evidently the shower hadn't totally stretched them all out.

"Goodnight," she said, as Rhia climbed off her bed and into her own.

"Sleep well," Lily heard her friend say. Sliding carefully into the cool silk sheets, she breathed deeply, savoring the feel of cool fabric against her sore skin. Within moments, she was asleep, but her slumber was by no means deep or restful.

* * *

She was back in the Potter manor library and the air was bright with flying curses. The effect was almost beautiful, marred only by the screams and yells of the casters. _Funny_, she thought detachedly, _how something so deadly could be almost…pretty_. Just then, a slash to her leg brought her to her knees, yelling out in pain. "Say goodbye," a man rasped. Everything went black, and then she was standing in the door to Kelsey's room, peering around James' shocked body at the still form lying in the bed. Raising her wand. Leveling it at the robed man's heart. Saying the curse. _Avada Kedavra_. And just like that, it was over. She had done it. _Murderer. Murderer. Murderer. _"NO!"

* * *

"NO!" Lily screamed, sitting bolt upright in bed, hair in disarray and breathing heavily. "Lily?" came Rhia's sleepy voice, soon joined by the other girls in the dormitory. "You OK?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Lily said loudly, running a trembling hand over her pale brow. "Sorry to wake you guys. It's…it's nothing…" Soon, the dorm was silent again save for the sound of gentle breathing and an occasional "No, Lucy, it's _my_ seal and _I_ want to play with it first!" or "Mmmm, try some of the pudding, it's delicious…" Lily sat leaning against the headboard, her pillow pressed to her face. _Murderer_. She knew she wouldn't be getting any more sleep that night. Slithering out of bed, she padded silently out of the dormitory and down to the common room, taking a seat on a couch next to the fireplace. She stared into the flames for what seemed to be an eternity, lost in thought. The arrival of a body next to hers on the couch stirred her from her thoughts, and she looked up in surprise to see James there, gazing into the fire much like she had been mere moments before. She poked him gently on the shoulder.

"Hey," she whispered. "What's your excuse?"

"Huh?" James said intelligently.

"What's your excuse for being out of bed this late at night…or is it morning? Not that either of us exactly need an excuse," Lily said thoughtfully.

"I couldn't sleep," James said tiredly. "Too many bad dreams."

"Same," she responded. "I killed a man, James. I. Killed Him. I'm a murderer. A _murderer_."

"Shut up," James said. 'You killed him saving my life, and taking vengeance for Kelsey's. Which, might I remind you, should have been my revenge. She was _my _sister," he said, his voice cracking slightly.

"Oh. Well, I considered it taking revenge for you and Kelsey, and your parents. They were my first chance at a loving family, and for the short time that I knew them, they treated me like a daughter" she replied seriously. "That man killed you, too, you know. A little bit of you died with Kelsey that night."

"I know," James said flatly. "I know."

* * *

The next morning, the residents of Gryffindor Tower awoke to find that something important was missing. Two somethings, in fact.

"Lily? Lily! Where the bloody hell are you?" Rhia's voice echoed down the stone staircase.

"Prongs? Jamesie? James Harold Potter, if you don't show up in five minutes, so help me, I will- Ow! Rhia?" Sirius said, after collecting himself off the floor where he had fallen after slamming into an equally worried Rhia.

"Have you seen-" they both began.

"No," they both responded in unison again. Sharing a worried glance, the two began their search anew.

* * *

At the far side of the common room, James and Lily, who had fallen asleep on the couch, woke to the concerned voices of their housemates. Almost all the Gryffindors had been roused, and their voices were growing louder. James blinked owlishly, groping for his glasses, which had fallen off his face sometime during the night. Lily, quickly gathering what was going on, stuck her head up over the top of the couch. Looking around blearily, she ran a hand through her frowsy hair. "Um…_hello_?" She gave a small sarcastic wave. 

"Lily!" Rhia cried. "Where were you? We've been looking for absolute _ages_! Is James there?"

"Um…yeah, we've been right here the whole time. We were actually sleeping, yeah, I know it's a bit odd, but that's what most people do at night…" Needless to say, Lily was a bit annoyed. It had taken them both about three hours to sleep last night, but when it had come at last, the sleep was uninterrupted by dreams. Only to be broken by the entire Gryffindor house.

"Oops," Rhia said in chagrin as James stuck his head up beside Lily.

"I guess this means we have to go change, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Lily said, sighing theatrically. James slipped his arm around her waist and gave the top of her head a kiss.

"See you in a bit," he said, as they parted ways, each heading up to their own dormitory.

* * *

Lily changed into her robes and gave herself a cursory glance in the mirror, rubbing at her eyes wearily. It felt as if she hadn't gotten any sleep; the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The dream had awoken her at three in the morning, she and James had finally fallen asleep at six, and they had been woken up at eight._ Two hours tops,_ she estimated. _Oh, joy_. Looking in the mirror, she saw that her eyes were rimmed with black, deeply shadowed. _Lovely_. Her skin, for some strange reason, had turned so pale it was almost translucent, probably a side affect of nearly boiling her skin off. The opaque coloring contrasted alarmingly with her dark robes. Her hair, at least, was somewhat normal, braided down her back in a neat plait, despite being slightly singed from the manor's fireplace. Grabbing her bag on the way out of the room, Lily headed down to breakfast.

* * *

James looked almost as bad as she did. He had his head propped up on his arms, and was rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"Mmmmph," he muttered at her, by way of 'good morning.'

"Me too," she replied in a heartfelt tone. Looking at all the food set out on the table, she felt somewhat nauseous. Taking a small piece of toast, she buttered it thinly and brought it up to her mouth, chewing slowly. Just hours ago she would have done anything to get food, but right now the idea of eating was utterly unappealing. James, who had only a goblet of orange juice, seemed to reciprocate the feeling emphatically. Ignoring Rhia's attempts to cheer her up, she stared at her empty plate dully. It was going to be a very long, very tiring, day.

* * *

"I want to die," she told Remus conversationally later that day.

"Oh? That's not a good sign," he said lightly. They were walking to Divination, the only subject they had without the rest of the group. Remus' parents had insisted that he take it, and Lily hadn't known what she was getting into when she signed up. They both regretted it dearly now. Prof. Trelawny, a young woman with a penchant for false predictions, was an absolute bat. None of what she said made any sense, and although she had just gotten the job last year, all the students agreed that she should be fired. _Immediately_.

"Any reason in particular for your morbid turn?" Remus said, slinging a friendly arm around Lily's shoulders.

"I. Hate. Divination. How do you think Trelawny is gonna react to the…the Potters? The only good thing is that James won't be there to listen to her going all, '_I have foreseen this for years, my child_' on us," Lily sighed.

"No worries, my dear Lily, for I shall be by your side!" Remus said, leaping around the hallway, pretending to slay invisible Divination Professors, and earning himself multitudes of strange glances. Lily laughed at his antics, and they continued on to Divination.

* * *

An hour and a half later, they exited the tower, numb with boredom.

"Jupiter…in first phase…signs of mossy trees in the stratosphere…what? I'm coming, Agatha!" Remus said witlessly, casting about himself for the wall, as he was tottering dangerously. "Woooh! Why's the hall…spin…spinning?"

"No thank you, I don't actually _like _crumpets…" Lily said groggily, whirling in circles, and crashing into the wall. "Nor liver, thank you very much-what? Whoa!" she said, regaining her senses in time to see Remus execute a lovely pirouette and swan maneuver, like the best ballet dancer.

"Hold on, now, Remmy, just calm down, come on," she said, catching him before he fell flat on his face and lowering him to the ground. Sending up a silent apology, she slapped him full on the face.

"Huh?" Remus said drowsily, sitting up. "What the hell? Did you just…just…slap me?"

"Yes," Lily said sincerely. "Who's Agatha?"

"What? Who told you…Oh, yeah. I did," he said, recollection dawning in his eyes. "Um, thanks…I think."

"No problem," Lily said, helping him stand. "I think it was the tea."

"Yeah," agreed Remus. "I thought it tasted a bit off…probably stale. No wonder I couldn't come up with a shape in my cup."

"Faulty leaves," decided Lily. "Anyway, if you're recovered, we'd best get to Potions."

* * *

Three minutes later, they were seated in the Potions classroom, along with James, Sirius, and Remus. Lily, partnered with Rhia, stared listlessly at the board, looking at the list of ingredients but not really seeing them. 

"_Ennervate_," whispered Rhia, discreetly pointing her wand towards Lily, who straightened up and began adding the ingredients.

"Thanks," she muttered, smiling gratefully. She felt awake on one level, but on another, she knew the feeling was false. It would wear off soon.

* * *

Ten minutes later, finishing her potion without mishap, Lily felt as though an anvil had dropped onto her head. Her skull was throbbing in time to her heartbeat, which was quick and uneven. He breath was coming in short gasps, and hitching often. She closed her eyes, but this action made her eyelids feel like they were on fire, so she opened them again. When she did, she nearly screamed in shock. Prof. Tennison's face was mere inches from her own, and he was scowling unpleasantly.

"_Miss Evans_," he sneered. "Although I perceive that you have completed your potion, a rare occurrence in and of itself, I see a_bsolutely no excuse_ for sleeping in this class. I realize that other teachers might give you…leeway…but be assured that I am not so soft. Mr. Potter's _unfortunate_ loss-" out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw Sirius and Remus keeping a firm grip on James' shoulders as he attempted to jump Tennison, rage blossoming in his eyes. "-Does not grant you any empathy on my part. You will sit up and pay attention, or I will take 20 more points than the 15 your actions have just cost your house." Lily just looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes, breathing shallowly. Her heart was thrumming in her ears, and her whole body was trembling.

"Lily? Are you alright?" she heard Rhia say urgently, as she stared at Tennison uncomprehendingly. The last thing she saw was a small frown beginning to form on his face, before she toppled from her chair and onto the cold stone floor, completely unconscious.

* * *

A/N: muahahahaha. I always end up leaving poor Lily unconscious. So…what did you think? PLEASEEEEEEE REVIEW. Please! I will love you forever.

xoox


	15. Take Advantage

Well hello there, children! Before we begin this chap, I'd like to extend my thanks to Hazel Maraa, who kindly wrote 'YOU HAD BETTER GODDAMN UPDATE SOON! YOU EVIL EVIL EVIL EVIL EVIL PERSON!' I feel so..:sniff:.. loved. Well, without further ado, here's chapter 15! Hope it was soon enough, Hazel! Because I'm a bit scared of you now…

* * *

Previously:

"Lily? Are you alright?" she heard Rhia say urgently, as she stared at Tennison uncomprehendingly. The last thing she saw was a small frown beginning to form on his face, before she toppled from her chair and onto the cold stone floor, completely unconscious.

* * *

"What the-" Tennison said, looking appalled.

"No _leeway_, eh?" snarled James, who looked as though he was trying to decide what he wanted to do more, help Lily or beat the shit out of Tennison. "Well, you're a bleeding genius!"

"Mr. Potter, I _will_ not be spoken to like that-" the sallow man began.

"Oh, stuff it, Professor," Rhia said, glaring at him. The man just stood there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Kneeling down next to Lily, James looked questioningly at Rhia, his forehead creased in worry.

"What spell did you use?"

"Ennervate," the girl said anxiously. Looking concerned, she added, "Is that bad? I know it's only meant to be used on unconscious people, but she was nearly out cold, so I figured…"

"No, that should have been fine; since she was awake, even only a little, the spell shouldn't have done anything, really," Remus broke in, kneeling down with Sirius around the comatose girl.

"Lily?" Sirius asked, his voice low in concern. "Lily? Can you hear me?" The girl moaned softly and sat up, holding her head.

"Jesus Christ! What happened? And why is it so goddamn bright?" she said dizzily.

"Can you walk?" James interrupted, smoothing down her hair.

"Let's find out, shall we?" Lily said lightly, though they could all tell that she was in a considerable amount of pain. Gripping James's outstretched hand, she attempted to lever herself up. Her vision collapsed in an explosion of white.

* * *

A second later, she awoke to find herself lying on the cold dungeon floor, blinking groggily.

"Alright," James said nonchalantly. "That's a no-go, then. Guess there's only one way to do this."

* * *

"This is so _humiliating_," Lily grumbled as they made their way down to the Hospital Wing, leaving behind a thoroughly befuddled class and an irate Professor who looked to be on the verge of an apoplexy.

"Oh, but think how lovely this'll be for your image," James said, grinning. Walking slowly through the hall, he earned many stares, but not nearly as many as one would think. _They must be getting used to us, _Lily thought. Somehow this was not a comforting idea. Though, perhaps the gazes were deserved, she thought reflectively. After all, she was being carried down the hall, curled up in James Potter's strong arms, and looking as though she would die any minute. _Yeah_, she thought. _They're definitely getting used to us_.

* * *

"Is this really necessary?" she asked for the umpteenth time. 

"Well, you can't walk, and I could levitate you, but then, that wouldn't be much fun, now, would it?" James said flippantly. "Besides, I think this episode totally enhances my 'studly hunk of manflesh' image, don't you agree?"

Lily groaned and turned her head into the crook of his neck and shoulder.

"Are we there yet?" she asked in her whiniest voice.

"Actually, yes," James said amusedly, a tinge of relief clear in his voice as he pushed open the door to the Hospital Wing with his foot. Sirius, Remus, and Rhia had stayed behind in Potions, as the group had reached the conclusion that it would not do to enrage Tennison further by half of his class vacating the room. Depositing Lily gently onto the bed, he stalked over to the young mediwitch's office door, clearing his throat loudly before sticking his head in.

"Er…Poppy? Oops, sorry. _Madam Pomfrey_? We have a bit of a situation here…" The nurse got up from her chair, where she had been going over student records, and followed James out into the main room quickly. She was a young woman, just out of Hogwarts four years ago. She knew James from the time they had both been students, as well as his numerous stays in the Hospital Wing because of his risky behavior, both in Quidditch and with his friends. The stern-looking witch, unbeknownst to most, had a wicked streak in her a mile wide, one that James had been quick to exploit.

"_Already_, James?" she asked now in resignation, spotting Lily lying weakly on the bed. "You've barely been back a day…" She listened intently as the young wizard explained what had happened in Potions, grimacing when he mentioned Tennison's reaction to Lily's affliction. She ignored James' amused smile at her expression, turning instead to examine the girl in question.

"Hmmm…" she said, walking around the bed as she inspected the now sleeping girl.

"'Hmmm'?" James said, a hint of panic seeping into his normally calm voice. "What the bloody hell does 'hmmm' mean?" he said, pacing back and forth. "Is that a 'hmmm, there's nothing wrong here', or a 'hmmm, this girl will be fine in a few minutes', or a 'hmmm, she's gonna die within the hour' hmmm? 'Hmmm' could mean _anything_!' he said, his voice gradually rising in volume until it was nearly hysteric. The mediwitch turned and slapped him full in the face. James clutched the side of his face, mouth wide in astonishment. "Hey!" he said indignantly. "_She's_ the only one allowed to do that!" he said, pointing at Lily.

"Oh well," the witch said briskly, turning back to continue looking over Lily. "I get special privileges. And, for the record, that was a 'hmmm, I'm going to need to get a better idea of what's going on inside Miss Evans's body before I can diagnose her' hmmm. Happy?"

"Fine," James said sullenly. "How long will you need?"

"She'll have to stay the night, at least," Poppy said, her gaze softening slightly as she saw that James was truly worried for the sleeping girl. Putting a hand on the young man's shoulder, she said kindly, "Don't worry. She'll be fine." James sighed and nodded, straightening his shoulders.

"Go down to dinner now, dear," she said, pushing him towards the door. "There's nothing you can do for now. You can come up and see her after dinner; she should be awake by then." James attempted a feeble protest, but was quickly overridden and soon found himself traversing the halls, headed for the Great Hall.

* * *

Lily opened her eyes and sat up, rubbing at her temples groggily. "Where am-" she began. Then the sharp smell of potions and cleaning supplies assaulted her nose. _"Oh,_" she finished, grimacing. "Never mind. I don't _want_ to know where I am."

"I'm taking that as an insult, Miss Evans," the nurse said, as she came into view and handed Lily a potion.

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey," Lily said, not really meaning it. Taking a deep breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose, and gulped down the potion. Her eyes widened slightly as she drank it down, and she swallowed quickly. Holding the beaker up in amazement, she gaped.

"It tastes…good!" she said disbelievingly. "Like…lime. I _like_ lime!" For some reason, the mediwitch was looking at her watch, a wicked grin spreading over her face.

"Three…two…one." The woman said, looking up at Lily. The girl's hand flew up to her mouth and she retched, straining to keep the contents of her stomach inside. A cold sweat broke out on her brow, and she was panting. Finally, she flopped back onto the pillows, breathing hard.

"What…the bloody hell…was _in_ that?" she asked, wiping her mouth.

"You don't want to know," the nurse said, shuddering. "Delayed reaction. What?" she asked, seeing the girl's incredulous face. "You actually thought there was a single remedy I would give you that didn't taste foul?"

Lily groaned.

* * *

0 0 0 0 Two Days Later 0 0 0 0

"So, I copied all the notes from Potions for you," Rhia said, handing a sheaf of papers over to Lily, who was lying on the Hospital Bed, looking miserable.

"And I got you started on the first three paragraphs of our History of Magic Essay, you just need to do the last one," the girl continued.

"You know I love you, Ree?" Lily said, staring at the neat handwriting that filled up 2/3 of the parchment.

"Only because I do your homework," Rhia said offhandedly. "That's what I'm here for," she said, grinning as Lily playfully socked her in the arm. "Hey!"

"What? You deserved that!"

"Much as it kills me to say this, you're right. I did deserve that. Bt you deserve this more!" Rhia said, swiping a pillow from a nearby bead and swinging it into Lily's face. Lily retaliated quickly, and soon it escalated into a full-blown pillow fight.

* * *

"Not that I want to interrupt two gorgeous chicks having a pillow fight, but you have visitors, my dears," a voice announced from the doorway, causing both girls to stop battering each other and look up, faces flushed, towards the speaker.

"Hey Sirius," Rhia called, taking expert aim and whacking the tall boy in the face with a pillow. "Stick a pillow in it!" The room dissolved in laugher as Remus and James came forward, arms raised, crying, "We surrender! Please, show us mercy!" and Sirius pouted. Gradually the group reformed around Lily's bed, talking animatedly.

"So, Lils…what exactly is wrong with you? Other than the obvious stuff, I mean," James asked playfully, but with a serious undertone to his voice. "It's not our fault we had detention last night! Seriously! I have no clue how Ogg figured out it was us planting those Dungbombs in his cabin…honestly!"

"_Sure_…" Lily said, rolling her eyes at Remus and Rhia. "Like anyone else would have the nerve to. But anyway, Madam Pomfrey says I'm 'suffering from a combination of the flu and shock-induced trauma.' The spell Rhia performed added to these effects slightly, and what with that mixed with the lack of sleep from the night before…well…ta-da!" Lily said, with an attempt at lightness that failed miserably. She gave a small smile and said, somewhat more cheerfully, "at least I get to get out of here tomorrow, thank god. I can't stand looking at these walls for one more minute, let alone a day." She was interrupted by Rhia's frantic voice, cracking slightly as she cried,

"Oh my god, Lily, I swear I never knew the spell would hurt you, I swear I didn't…"

"Rhia. Calm. Breathe. We've been over this. In. Out. In. Out. _Calm_." Rhia breathed deeply, settling back in her seat.

"Sorry," she said embarrassedly.

"It's okay, Ree. It's not your fault," Lily said reassuringly. "So, yeah, I get out of this bloody room tomorrow, and then I get to go back to having a life." She smiled brightly. "Won't that be fun?"

"Ah, cheer up, Lils," James said, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "You'll be fine, right?"

"Of course she will," Remus put in. "Besides, you know she wouldn't miss another Divination class for the world. Trelawney's having a field day. Apparently, '_an evil spirit lives restless within the innocent_' that's you, Lils, the 'innocent'." He snorted, and Lily laughed.

"Well, I'm sure you all have homework to do, and I," she gestured expansively at the books and scraps of parchment crumpled into balls covering the bed, "have my own to finish." Agreeing, the four students left her bedside, calling goodbyes over their shoulders. Lily sighed and settled back to do her essay.

* * *

0 0 0 0 One Day Later 0 0 0 0

* * *

Lily was swept along the tide of people surging back to Gryffindor Tower after dinner. Talking enthusiastically with Sirius, she paid little attention to where they were going, trusting the crowd to steer her to the Fat Lady. 

"No, I'm telling you, Siri, muggle Press-and-Seal is _way_ better for this kind of thing than a sealant charm…the only glitch is that we've got no way to get a hold of any…"

"What I don't understand is the theory behind it…what's the difference between the charm and that Press-and-Seal stuff?"

James grinned as he past the two, loving the feeling that he has on a turbulent river, being swept around bends and steering himself away from rocks. Or trying to. With a quick surge, he was over the lip of the common room entrance and spilling into the room beyond. Flopping into an armchair, he felt Lily land on his lap with a thud.

"Oof," he said mildly. She grinned, wiggling a bit to get comfortable. His face turned red, and he put his hands on her waist, holding her still. "Don't _do_ that," he complained, leaning into her ear. She just smiled wider.

They stayed that way for about three hours, just talking to Rhia, Sirius, and Remus about normal things. Lily was overcome with a feeling of peace so complete that she could barely stay awake. Thinking for a moment, she said, "Everyone stay still. Don't move a muscle. I'll be right back." Sprinting up to the girls' dorm, she grabbed the object form her trunk and ran back to the common room. "Got it!" Snagging a passing fifth-year by his robes, she smiled sweetly. "Take a picture of us?" The student nodded, and Lily flopped back into the armchair with James. The boy took a picture of them, and then with everyone else gathered around them. "Thanks, kid," Lily said.

"What was that all about?" Rhia questioned later, as she and Lily climbed the dormitory stairs up to bed.

"Something a wise friend once told me," Lily responded quietly. "Take advantage of happy times, because they never last."

* * *

OOOOOOH!

I updated really quick!

I did my best to not make this a cliffie...so please review! much love,

shade


	16. Sunrise

This super-short chappie is dedicated to Hotkat - who was awesome enough to PERSONALLY EMAIL ME! I was planning on updating sooner, actually, but I had to go to Conneticut for a Christian church thing (where, ironically, I got drunk for the first time in my life). That's where the hangover scene comes from. Anyway, I know that this is really short, but it's the best I could do, considering how things are at home at the moment. Hope it's all right! And I SHOULD update more often now...

* * *

After that, the days passed quickly. Lily was glad to finally have the chance to live a 'normal' life; attending classes, spending time with James, Sirius, Remus, and Rhia, and taking long walks around the grounds. The teens didn't speak much of Christmas night; the subject was almost taboo.

* * *

As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, Lily's sleep eased, and the haunted look in both her and James' own chocolate eyes began to fade, although it would never disappear completely. New Year's Eve was celebrated in Gryffindor Tower with an all-night party that included plenty of sweets and even more smuggled firewhisky. Lily, despite her own misgivings, tried a pint, and then another, until she found herself pleasantly smashed along with the rest of her house. Although she had been wary of the liquor before, she discovered that she could hold her ale as well as, if not better than, most of the boys in Gryffindor.

* * *

Of course, none of the merriment of the night mattered when she awoke to find the common room spinning and her body intertwined with James' on a couch. Luckily, they were both fully clothed, and her memory of the night was mostly complete, so she knew they hadn't done anything. She had gotten up slowly and made her way to the empty girls' dorm, stepping over unconscious bodies that littered the floor. Staggering up the stairwell, she had needed to trail one hand on the wall to keep her balance. Up in the room, she had paged through a worn textbook, and refrained from grinning, which only worsened her headache, when she found what she had been looking for. Figuring that Rhia wouldn't mind, she had ransacked her friend's potion ingredients, and quickly brewed 4 gallons of liquid. She finished just as the moans, groans, and thumps coming from below began to get audible. Walking delicately down the stairs, she began distributing the vile-looking potion to everyone that awoke, taking a break to quaff some for herself. It had worked immediately; her head cleared and the room re-anchored itself the earth. Ever since then, she had kept a vial of the hangover ready for the next party.

* * *

Now, it was early February, and the grounds were showing no sign of thawing. As she walked around the grounds in the early morning, holding hands with James, Lily was overcome with a feeling of peace so strong it was overpowering. Pulling James closer, she wrapped her arms around him and drew him in towards her. He moved the last inches, and kissed her tenderly as the sun came up over the rim of Scotland. A few moments later, she broke the kiss, although she hazily wondered if inhaling oxygen was really worth putting a centimeter between her and James. They sat together, in a low branch of the Whomping Willow (which was being quite considerate for once), their arms around each other. Lily snuggled into his shoulder, and he bent his head to kiss the top of her head.

* * *

"You know, I never actually asked you to be my girlfriend," he said pensively, inhaling the scent of her shampoo.

"I accept," Lily replied drowsily. James chuckled lowly, burying his face in her hair.

"Knew you would," he said, tilting her chin up towards himself. She looked him in the eye before reaching upwards to capture his mouth. Pulling on his bottom lip, she caressed his mouth with a braveness she had never showed before. James pulled away, returning almost instantly to kiss her forehead, each eyelid, her nose, the corners of her mouth, and then moving to sprinkle kisses along her jaw line, into the hollow of her throat, and outlining her collarbone. Now it was Lily's turn to draw away from him, but it was only to slip her small hands underneath his shirt, feeling the muscles stretched tight against his back. She kissed him back unrestrainedly, letting her hands explore his skin. James gave a muffled groan into her mouth, and she stopped.

"What's wrong?" she asked flirtatiously. "And here was me thinking I was doing a good job…" she whispered into his ear. Her breath stirred his hair, and he lunged for her mouth again. Five minutes later, he pulled away again, his hands itching to do something he would almost surely regret later.

"We need to stop. Now," he said hoarsely. _Shower shower shower shower I really need a cold shower…_

"I agree," Lily said shakily, trying to smooth her tousled hair. After a few minutes, James put his arm around her waist and drew her close, and they watched the sun rise until it was high in the sky.

* * *

So, yeah...lotta fluff in that chap, it just kinda came out that way...plus. I've been beating Lily up so much I figured I'd give her some happiness. 

PS- http/s13. -- go there. register. have fun. It's an awesome RPG...funfunfun. And yes, that was a plug. As is this. GO READ MY OTHER STORY! One reviewer...not much love happening over there. Anyway, review review review!


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